G.R. No. 206484, June 29, 2016
DEPAR DEPARTMENT TMENT OF TRANSPOR TRANSPORT TATION AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMUNICATIONS (DOTC, (DOTC, PETITIONER, !S. SPOUSES !ICENTE A"ECINA AND MARIA C#EOFE A"ECINA, RESPONDENTS.
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Re')on e')on*en *en&& ')ou'e ')ou'e' ' !+%en !+%en&e &e $n* M$+$ M$+$ C-eoe C-eoe A/e%+n A/e%+n$ $ (e') (e')on* on*en& en&'' '')o )ou'e u'e' ' A/e%+n$ $e &e e+'&ee* o3ne' o 5e )$%e-' o -$n* +n S+&+o P$-&+, "$+o S&$. Ro'$, Jo'e P$n$n+/$n, C$7$+ne' No&e. Te )o)e&+e' $e %o5ee* / T$n'e Ce&+%$&e' o T+&-e (TCT No'. T2:094, T2:09:, T2:096, T2:09;, $n* T2:098. In Fe/u$ 199<, &e DOTC $3$*e* D++&e- Te-e%o77un+%$&+on' P+-+))+ne', In%. (D++&e- $ %on&$%& o &e 7$n$e7en&, o)e$&+on, 7$+n&en$n%e, $n* *e5e-o)7en& o $ Re+on$- Te-e%o77un+%$&+on' De5e-o)7en& Po=e%& (RTDP un*e &e N$&+on$ Te-e)one Te-e)one Po$7, Po$7, P$'e P$'e I, T$n%e T$n%e 1 (NTPI1 (NTPI1 #$&e on, &e 7un+%+)$-+& o Jo'e P$n$n+/$n, C$7$+ne' No&e, *on$&e* $ one &ou'$n* &3o un*e* (1,200 '>u$e7e&e )$%e- o -$n* &o &e DOTC o &e +7)+7)-e7 e7en en&$ &$&+ &+on on o &e &e RDTP RDTP +n &e &e 7un+ 7un+%+ %+)$ )$-+ -+& &.. ?o3e ?o3e5e 5e, , &e &e 7un+ 7un+%+ %+)$ )$-+ -+& & eoneou'- +n%-u*e* )o&+on' o &e e')on*en&'@ )o)e& +n &e *on$&+on. Pu'u$n& &o &e F#A', F#A', D++&e D++&e-- %on'& %on'&u% u%&e* &e* $ &e-e) &e-e)one one e%$ e%$n ne e on &e )o)e )o)e& & 3+% 3+% en%o$%e* on &e )o)e&+e' o &e e')on*en& ')ou'e' On A)+- 29, 200<, &e e')on*en& ')ou'e' 'en& $ n$- *e7$n* -e&&e &o /o& &e DOTC $n* D++&e- &o 5$%$&e &e )e7+'e' $n* &o )$ un)$+* en&*$7$e' +n &e $7oun& o one 7+--+on &3o un*e* &ou'$n* )e'o' (P1,200,000.00. Ne+&e &e DOTC no D++&e- %o7)-+e* 3+& &e *e7$n*. Te RTC e-* &$& $' &e -$3u- o3ne' o &e )o)e&+e', )o)e&+e', &e e')on*en& e')on*en& ')ou'e' en=oe* &e +& &o u'e $n* &o )o''e'' &e7 +&' &$& 3ee 5+o-$&e* / &e DOTC@' un$u&o+Be* en&, %on'&u%&+on, $n* eu'$- &o 5$%$&e. Te RTC o*ee* &e De)$&7en& $' $ /u+-*e +n /$* $+& &o oe+& &e +7)o5e7en&' $n* 5$%$&e &e )o)e&+e' $n* (2 $3$*e* &e ')ou'e' 3+& P1,200,000.00 $' $%&u$- *$7$e', P200,0 P200,000. 00.00 00 $' 7o$7o$- *$7$ *$7$e', e', $n* P200,0 P200,000. 00.00 00 $' ee7) ee7)-$ -$ *$7$ *$7$e' e' )-u' )-u' $&&one@' ee' $n* %o'&' o 'u+&, Te Cou& o A))e$-' $7e* &e RTC' *e%+'+on. ?en%e &+' )e&+&+on.
I''ue e&e &e DOTC' %on&en&+on &$& +n'&e$* o $--o3+n e%o5e o &e )o)e&, &e %$'e 'ou-* /e e7$n*e* &o &e RTC o *e&e7+n$&+on o =u'& %o7)en'$&+on $' 7e+&
Ru-+n Te P+-+))+ne' e%on+Be' &e 5+&$- o-e o +no7$&+on $n* %o77un+%$&+on +n n$&+on /u+-*+n.A' $ %on'e>uen%e, 3e $5e $*o)&e* $ )o-+% en5+on7en& &$& $')+e' o &e u-- *e5e-o)7en& o %o77un+%$&+on' +n$'&u%&ue &o $%+-+&$&e &e o3 o +no7$&+on +n&o, ou& o, $n* $%o'' &e %oun&. To &+' en*, &e DOTC $' /een 7$n*$&e* 3+& &e )o7o&+on, *e5e-o)7en&, $n* eu-$&+on o *e)en*$/-e $n* %oo*+n$&e* ne&3o' o %o77un+%$&+on. Te DOTC en%o$%e* on &e e')on*en&'@ )o)e&+e' 3en +& %on'&u%&e* &e -o%$&e-e)one e%$ne +n D$e&, C$7$+ne' No&e. Te e%$ne 3$' )$& o &e RTDP )u'u$n& &o &e N$&+on$- Te-e)one Po$7. e $5e no *ou/& &$& 3en &e DOTC %on'&u%&e* &e en%o$%+n '&u%&ue' $n* 'u/'e>uen&- en&ee* &e F#A 3+& D++&e- o &e+ 7$+n&en$n%e, +& 3$' %$+n ou& $ 'o5ee+n un%&+on. Teeoe, 3e $ee 3+& &e DOTC@' %on&en&+on &$& &e'e $e $%&' =ue +7)e++ &$& $-- 3+&+n &e %-o$ o '&$&e +77un+&. Te Con'&+&u&+on +*en&+e' &e -+7+&$&+on' &o &e $3e'o7e $n* ne$-+7+&-e'' )o3e' o &e S&$&e. C+e $7on &e'e -+7+&$&+on' $e &e )+n%+)-e' &$& no )e'on '$-- /e *e)+5e* o -+e, -+/e&, o )o)e& 3+&ou& *ue )o%e'' o -$3 $n* &$& )+5$&e )o)e& '$-- no& /e &$en o )u/-+% u'e 3+&ou& =u'& %o7)en'$&+on.Te'e -+7+&$&+on' $e en'+ne* +n no -e'' &$n &e "+-- o R+&' &$& u$$n&ee' &e %+&+Ben )o&e%&+on o7 $/u'e / &e S&$&e. Con'e>uen&-, ou -$3' e>u+e &$& &e S&$&e@' )o3e o e7+nen& *o7$+n '$-- /e ee%+'e* &ou e)o)+$&+on )o%ee*+n' +n %ou&. ene5e )+5$&e )o)e& +' &$en o )u/-+% u'e, +& /e%o7e' &e 7+n+'&e+$- *u& o &e %on%ene* o%e o $en% &o +n+&+$&e e)o)+$&+on )o%ee*+n'. " ne%e''$ +7)-+%$&+on, &e -+n o $ %o7)-$+n& o e)o)+$&+on +' $ 3$+5e o S&$&e +77un+&.I &e DOTC $* %oe%&- o--o3e* &e eu-$ )o%e*ue u)on *+'%o5e+n &$& +& $* en%o$%e* on &e e')on*en&'@ )o)e&, +& 3ou-* $5e +n+&+$&e* e)o)+$&+on )o%ee*+n' +n'&e$* o +n'+'&+n on +&' +77un+& o7 'u+&. Te )e&+&+one' 3ou-* no& $5e $* &o e'o& &o -+n +&' %o7)-$+n& o e%on5e$n%e. Te ee%+'e o e7+nen& *o7$+n e>u+e' $ enu+ne ne%e''+& &o &$e &e )o)e& o )u/-+% u'e $n* &e %on'e>uen& )$7en& o =u'& %o7)en'$&+on. Te )o)e& +' e5+*en&- /e+n u'e* o $ )u/-+% )u)o'e. ?o3e5e, 3e $-'o no&e &$& &e e')on*en& ')ou'e' 3+--+n- en&ee* +n&o $ -e$'e $ee7en& 3+& D++&e- o &e u'e o &e 'u/=e%& )o)e&+e'. I +n &e u&ue, &e $%&u$- %+%u7'&$n%e' 'ou-* %$ne $n* &e e')on*en&' eu'e &o %on&+nue &e -e$'e, &en &e DOTC 7$ +n+&+$&e e)o)+$&+on )o%ee*+n'.
