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G.R.No.L2506

TodayisSaturday,August22,2015

RepublicofthePhilippines
SUPREMECOURT
Manila
ENBANC
G.R.No.L2506April16,1906
F.STEWARTJONES,plaintiffappellee,
vs.
THEINSULARGOVERNMENT,defendantappellant.
OfficeoftheSolicitorGeneral,forappellant.
PillsburyandSutro,forappellee.
WILLARD,J.:
Onthe16thdayofJanuary,1904F.StewartJonespresentedapetitiontotheCourtofLandRegistrationasking
that he be inscribed as the owner of a certain tract of land situatd in the Province of Benguet, and within the
reservationdefinedinActNo.636.TheSolicitorGeneralappearedinthecourtbelowandopposedtheinscription
uponthegroundthatthepropertywaspublicland.Atthetrialheobjectedtoanyconsiderationofthecaseonthe
ground that the court had no jurisdiction to register land situated in that reservation. The objections were
overruledandjudgmententeredinfavorofthepetitioner,fromwhichjudgmenttheGovernmentappealedtothis
court.
TheactcreatingtheCourtofLandRegistration(No.496)gaveitjurisdictionthroughouttheArchipelago.ByAct
No.1224,whichwasapprovedAugust31,1904,andwhichappliedtopendingcases,thecourtwasdeprivedof
jurisdictionoverlandssituatedintheProvinceofBenguet.Thatact,however,containedaprovisobywhichthe
court was given jurisdiction over applications for registration of title to land in all cases coming within the
provisionsofActNo.648.ActNo.648providesinitsfirstsectionthat
TheCivilGovernorisherebyauthorizedandempoweredbyexecutiveordertoreservefromsettlementor
publicsaleandforspecificpublicusesanyofthepublicdomaininthePhilippineIslandstheuseofwhichis
nototherwisedirectedbylaw.
Section2provides:"WhenevertheCivilGovernor,inwriting,shallcertifythatallpubliclandswithinlimitsbyhim
describedinthePhilippineIslandsarereservedforcivilpublicuses,eitheroftheInsularGovernment,orofany
provincialormunicipalgovernment,andshallgivenoticethereoftothejudgeoftheCourtofLandRegistration,it
shallbethedutyofthejudgeofsaidcourt"toproceedinaccordancewiththeprovisionsofActNo.627.ActNo.
627,whichrelatestomilitaryreservations,providesthatwhennoticeisgiventotheCourtofLandRegistrationof
the fact that any land has been so reserved, it shall be the duty of the court to issue notice that claims for all
privatelandswithinthelimitsofthereservationmustbepresentedforregistrationundertheLandRegistrationAct
withinsixmonthsfromthedateofissuingsuchnotice,andthatalllandsnotsopresentedwithinsaidtimewould
beconclusivelyadjudgedtobepubliclands,andallclaimsonthepartofprivateindividualsforsuchlands,notso
presented,wouldbeforeverbarred.
Onthe26thdayofAugust,1903,thefollowingletterwasdirectedbyGovernorTafttothejudgeoftheCourtof
LandRegistration:
SIR:Youareherebynotified,inaccordancewiththeprovisionsofActNo.648,entitled"Anactauthorizing
theCivilGovernortoreserveforcivilpublicpurposes,andfromsaleorsettlement,anypartofthepublic
domainnotappropriatedbylawforspecialpublicpurposes,untilotherwisedirectedbylaw,andextending
theprovisionsofActNumberedSixhundredandtwentysevensothatpubliclandsdesiredtobereserved
by the Insular Government for public uses, or private lands desired to be purchased by the Insular
Government for such uses, may be brought under the operation of the Land Registration Act" that the
Philippine Commission has reserved for civil public uses of the Government of the Philippine Islands the
lands described in Act No. 636, entitled "An act creating a Government reservation at Baguio, in the
ProvinceofBenguet,"enactedFebruary11,1903.
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It is therefore requested that the land mentioned be forthwith brought under the operation of the Land
RegistrationActandbecomeregisteredlandinthemeaningthereof,andthatyouproceedinaccordance
withtheprovisionsofActNo.648.
Veryrespectfully,
(Signed)WM.H.TAFT,
"CivilGovernor."
ThecourtofLandRegistration,actinguponthisnoticefromtheGovernor,issuedthenoticerequiredbyActNo.
627,andinpursuanceofthatnoticeJones,theappellee,withinthesixmonthsreferredtointhenotice,presented
hispetitionaskingthatthelandberegisteredinhisname.
ThefirstclaimoftheGovernmentisthattheprovisionsofActNo.648werenotcompliedwithintherespectthat
thisletteroftheGovernordidnotamounttoacertificatethatthelandshadbeenreserved.TheSolicitorGeneral
saysinhisbrief:
Tobringtheselandswithintheoperationofsection2ofActNo.648itwasnecessaryfortheCivilGovernor
firsttocertifythattheselandswerereservedforpublicuses,andsecondtogivenoticethereoftotheCourt
ofLandRegistration.
Wedonotthinkthatthiscontentioncanbesustained.ActNo.648conferredpowerupontheGovernortoreserve
landsforpublicpurposes,butitdidnotmakethatpowerexclusive.TheCommissiondidnottherebydepriveitself
of the power to itself make reservations in the future, if it saw fit neither did it intend to annul any reservations
whichithadformerlymade.ThecontentionoftheGovernmentistruewhenappliedtoacasewherethelandhas
notbeenreservedbytheCommission.InsuchacaseitwouldbethedutyoftheGovernortofirstreserveitbyan
executiveorder,andthentogivenoticetotheCourtofLandRegistration,butwherethelandhadalreadybeen
reserved by competent authority, it not only was not necessary for the Governor to issue any executive order
reserving the land but he had no power to do so. In such cases the only duty imposed upon him was to give
noticetotheCourtofLandRegistrationthatthelandhadbeenreserved.Thisnoticewasgivenintheletterabove
quoted.Thecourthadjurisdictiontotrythecase.
ThepetitionerJones,onthe1stdayofMay,1901,boughtthelandinquestionfromSiocoCario,anIgorot.He
causedhisdeedtothelandtoberecordedintheofficeoftheregistrarofpropertyonthe8thdayofMayofthe
sameyear.Priorthereto,andwhileSiocoCariowasinpossessionoftheland,hecommencedproceedingsin
court for the purpose of obtaining a possessory information in accordance with the provisions of the Mortgage
Law.Thispossessoryinformationhecausedtoberecordedintheofficeoftheregistrarofpropertyonthe12th
dayofMarch,1901.
The evidence shows that Sioco Cario was born upon the premises in question that his grandfather, Ortega,
duringthelifeofthelatter,madeagiftofthepropertytoSioco.Thisgiftwasmademorethantwelveyearsbefore
thefilingofthepetitioninthiscasethatis,beforethe16thdayofJanuary,1904.Sioco'sgrandfather,Ortega,
wasinpossessionofthelandatthetimethegiftwasmade,andhasbeeninpossessionthereofformanyyears
prior to said time. Upon the gift being made Sioco took possession of the property, and continued in such
possessionuntilhissaletoJones,thepetitioner.SincesuchsaleJoneshasbeeninpossessionoftheland,and
isnowinsuchpossession.Formorethantwelveyearspriortothepresentationofthepetitionthelandhadbeen
cultivatedbytheownersthereof,andtheevidenceissufficient,inouropinion,tobringthecasewithinsection41
oftheCodeofCivilProcedure,andtoshowsuchanadversepossessionthereoffortenyearsasisrequiredby
the section. The evidence of Sioco Carino shows that what he did in the way of presenting a petition to the
SpanishGovernmentinregardtoadeedofthelandwasdonebyorderofthethencomandante,andwaslimited
tosecuringameasurementthereof,ashethenbelieved.Theseactsdidnotinterrupttherunningofthestatuteof
limitations.
ActsNos.627and648providethattheprovisionsofsection41oftheCodeofCivilProcedureshallbeapplicable
toallproceedingstakenundereitheroneoftheseacts.Theseactsineffectprovidethatindeterminingwhether
theapplicantistheownerofthelandornot,thegeneralstatuteoflimitationsshallbeconsidered,andshallbe
applied against the Government. The evidence showing, as we have said, such an adverse possession, the
petitioner proved his ownership of the land if the Commission had authority to make the statute of limitations
applicabletotheseproceedings.
The claim of the Government is that this provision is void that the act thereby disposes of public lands that
Congressistheonlyauthoritythatcantakesuchaction,andthatithasneverauthorizedorapprovedtheaction
oftheCommissioninapplyingthestatuteoflimitationstoproceedingsunderActsNos.648and627.Wedonot
thinkthatthiscontentioncanbesustained.Section12oftheactofCongressofJuly1,1902,providesasfollows:
SEC. 12. That all the property and rights which may have been acquired in the Philippine Islands by the
UnitedStatesunderthetreatyofpeacewithSpain,signedDecembertenth,eighteenhundredandninety
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eight,exceptsuchlandorotherpropertyasshallbedesignatedbythePresidentoftheUnitedStatesfor
militaryandotherreservationsoftheGovernmentoftheUnitedStates,areherebyplacedunderthecontrol
oftheGovernmentofsaidIslands,tobeadministeredforthebenefitoftheinhabitantsthereof,exceptas
providedinthisact.
ThisgivestheGovernmentofthePhilippineIslandspowertodisposeoftheselands,andofallpubliclands,and
topassthelawinquestion,unlessthereissomeprovisioninotherpartsoftheactofJuly1,1902,whichtakes
awayorlimitsthatpower.Thegovernmentsaysthatsuchlimitationisfoundinsection13oftheact.Thatsection
andsections14and15areasfollows:
SEC.13.ThattheGonvernmentofthePhilippineIslands,subjecttotheprovisionsofthisActandexceptas
herein provided, shall classify according to its agricultural character and productiveness, and shall
immediately make rules and regulations for the lease, sale, or other disposition of the public lands other
thantimberorminerallands,butsuchrulesandregulationsshallnotgointoeffectorhavetheforceoflaw
untiltheyhavereceivedtheapprovalofthePresident,andwhenapprovedbythePresidenttheyshallbe
submittedbyhimtoCongressatthebeginningofthenextensuingsessionthereofandunlessdisapproved
oramendedbyCongressatsaidsessiontheyshallatthecloseofsuchperiodhavetheforceandeffectof
lawinthePhilippineIslands:Provided,Thatasinglehomesteadentryshallnotexceedsixteenhectaresin
extent.
SEC.14.ThattheGovernmentofthePhilippineIslandsisherebyauthorizedandempoweredtoenactrules
andregulationsandtoprescribetermsandconditionstoenablepersonstoperfecttheirtitletopubliclands
insaidIslands,who,priortothetransferofsovereigntyfromSpaintotheUnitedStates,hadfulfilledallor
some of the conditions required by the Spanish laws and royal decrees of the Kingdom of Spain for the
acquisition of legal title thereto, yet failed to secure conveyance of title and the Philippine Commission is
authorizedtoissuepatents,withoutcompensation,toanynativeofsaidIslands,conveyingtitletoanytract
oflandnotmorethansixteenhectaresinextent,whichwerepubliclandsandhadbeenactuallyoccupied
bysuchnativeorhisancestorspriortoandonthethirteenthofAugust,eighteenhundredandninetyeight.
SEC. 15. That the Government of the Philippine Islands is hereby authorized and empowered, on such
terms as it may prescribe, by general legislation, to provide for the granting or sale and conveyance to
actual occupants and settlers and other citizens of said Islands such parts and portions of the public
domain,otherthantimberandminerallands,oftheUnitedStatesinsaidIslandsasitmaydeemwise,not
exceeding sixteen hectares to any one person, and for the sale and conveyance of not more than one
thousandandtwentyfourhectarestoanycorporationorassociationofpersons:Provided,Thatthegrant
or sale of such lands, whether the purchase price be paid at once or in partial payments, shall be
conditioneduponactualandcontinuedoccupancy,improvement,andcultivationofthepremisessoldfora
periodofnotlessthanfiveyears,duringwhichtimethepurchaserorgranteecannotalienateorencumber
saidlandorthetitletheretobutsuchrestrictionshallnotapplytotransfersofrightsandtitleofinheritance
underthelawsforthedistributionoftheestatesofdecedents.
Itisfirsttobenotedthatsection13doesnotapplytoalllands.Timberandminerallandsareexpresslyexcluded.
IftheCommissionshouldpasslawsrelatingtominerallandswithoutsubmittingthemtoCongress,asithasdone
(ActNo.624),theirvaliditywouldnotbedeterminedbyinquiringiftheyhadbeensubmittedtoCongressunder
section 13, but rather by inquiring if they were inconsistent with other provisions of the act relating to mineral
lands.Inotherwords,thefactthatsuchlawswerenotsubmittedtoCongresswouldnotnecessarilymakethem
void.
Thesameistrueoflegislationrelatingtocoallands,astowhichsections53and57containprovisions.Bysection
57 this Government is authorized to issue all needful rules and regulations for carrying into effect this and
precedingsectionsrelatingtominerallands.SuchregulationsneednotbesubmittedtoCongressforitsapproval.
ActNo.1128,relatingtocoallands,wasnotsubmitted.
The act of Congress also contains provisions regarding the purchase of lands beloning to religious orders.
Section65providesastothoselandsasfollows:
SEC.65.Thatalllandsacquiredbyvirtueoftheprecedingsectionshallconstituteapartandportionofthe
public property of the Government of the Philippine Islands, and may be held, sold, and conveyed, or
leased temporarily for a period not exceeding three years after their acquisition by said Government, on
suchtermsandconditionsasitmayprescribe,subjecttothelimitationsandconditionsprovidedforinthis
Act....ActualsettlersandoccupantsatthetimesaidlandsareacquiredbytheGovernmentshallhavethe
preferenceoverallotherstolease,purchase,oracquiretheirholdingswithinsuchreasonabletimeasmay
bedeterminedbysaidGovernment.
Does the clause "subject to the limitations and conditions of this act" require a submission to Congress of
legislationconcerningsuchland?Ifitdoes,thenActNo.1120,whichcontainssuchprovisions,isvoid,becauseit
wasneversosubmitted.
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Section18oftheactofCongressprovidesasfollows:
That the forest laws and regulations now in force in the Philippine Islands, with such modifications and
amendmentsasmaybemadebytheGovernmentofsaidIslands,areherebycontinuedinforce.
MustthesemodificationsandamendmentsbesubmittedtoCongressforitsapproval?Iftheymustbe,thenAct
No.1148,relatingthereto,isvoid,becauseitwasnotsosubmitted.
Itseemsveryclearthatrulesandregulationsconcerningmineral,timber,andcoallands,andlandsboughtfrom
religiousordersneednotbesubmittedtoCongress.Iftheyarenotinconsistentwiththeprovisionsoftheactof
Congressrelatingtothesamesubjects,theyarevalid.
Congress,bysection12oftheact,gavetothePhilippineGovernmentgeneralpowerallpropertyacquiredfrom
Spain. When it required the Commision to immediately classify the agricultural lands and to make rules and
regulationsfortheirsale,wedonotthinkthatitintendedtovirtuallyrepealsection12.Such,however,wouldbe
theeffectoftherulecontendedforbytheGovenrment.If,notwithstandingtheprovisionsofsection12,anylaw
which in any way directly or indirectly affects injuriously the title of the Government to public lands must be
submittedtothePresidentandCongressforapproval,thegeneralpowergivenbysection12istakenaway.An
examination of some of the laws of the Commission will show that a holding such as is contended for by the
Government in this case would apparently require a holding that such other laws were also void. Act No. 496,
which established the Court of Land Registration, the court that tried this case, provides in section 38 that the
decreesofthecourtshallbeconclusiveonandagainstallpersons,includingtheInsularGovernment,andallthe
branchesthereof.NeitherthePresidentnorCongressevergavetheirconsenttothislaw.Theyneverconsented
thatthetitleoftheGovernmenttopubliclandsshouldbesubmittedtothejudgmentofthecourtsoftheIslands.
That this law provides a means by which the Government may be deprived of its property in such lands is
apparent. In this very case, if the Government had not appealed from the judgment, or if it should withdraw its
appeal,thelandswouldbelosttoitlandswhichtheAttorneyGeneralclaimsarepubliclands.Thelandcouldnot
bemoreeffectuallylostbythelawshorteningthestatuteoflimitationsthanbythislawmakingthedecreesofthe
CourtofLandRegistrationbindingontheGovernment.Infact,theformerlawcouldnotinanywayprejudicethe
Governmentifitwerenotforthelatterlawmakingthejudgmentsofthiscourtbindinguponit.Bothoftheselaws
inanindirectwayaffectthetitletopubliclands,butwedonotthinkthatforthatreasontheyareincludedinthe
terms"rulesandregulations"usedinsection13oftheactofCongress.
Act No. 1039 granted to the Province of Cavite and to the pueblo of Cavite certain public lands. This act never
wassubmittedeithertothePresidentorCongress.ActsNos.660and732authorizedtheleasingofpartsofthe
SanLazaroestate.TheGovernmentleasedthesanitariumatBenguet,andprovidedforitssale.Noneofthese
actswereeversubmittedtothePresidentorCongress,whichauthorizedsuchdisposition.TheGovernmentowns
manyisolatedtractsofland,suchastheOrienteHotel,forexample.Ithasreclaimedfromtheseaalargetractof
landinconnectionwiththeworksoftheportofManila.IftheGovernmentshoulddesiretosellthisreclaimedland
ortoleaseapartofitforthesiteofanhotel,orshoulddesiretoselltheOrienteHotelbuilding,wedonotthink
legislation to accomplish such purposes would require the previous approval of the President and of Congress.
The general purpose of section 13 was to require the Government to classify agricultural lands and to pass a
homesteadlawthatis,alawwhichwouldstatetherulesandregulationsbyvirtueofwhichtitletothepublic
landsofwhichitcanbedecidedineverycasewhetheranactoftheCommissionconstitutesaruleorregulation
withinthemeaningofsection13.Itissufficienttosaythatthelawinquestion(ActNo.648),makingastatuteof
limitationsrunagainsttheGovernmentwhenthetitletofewscatteredtractsoflandthroughouttheArchipelagois
under consideration, is not such a rule or regulations as required previous submission to the President and
Congress. It will be observed that be section 86 of the act of Congress of July 1, 1902, Congress reserves the
righttoannulalllegislationoftheCommission.
There is nothing in section 14 which requires the rules and regulations therein mentioned to be submitted to
Congress. But it is said that although as to Act No. 648 submission to Congress was not required, it is
neverthelessvoidwhenappliedtoonenotanativeoftheIslands,becauseforbiddenbythissectionandthatthis
section limits the power of the Commission to declare possession alone sufficient evidence of title to cases in
whichtheclaimantisnativeandinwhichtheamountoflanddoesnotexceed16hectares.
Section14isnotlimitedtoagriculturallands,asaresections13and15.Itincludesmineralandtimberlands.So
farasitrelatestoproceedingstheretoforetakenunderSpanishlawsitsbenefitsarenotlimitedtonativesofthe
Islandsnortotractsnotmorethan16hectaresinextent.Wheretheonlyclaimispossession,nopossessionfor
any definite time prior to August 13, 1898, is required, nor is proof of any possession whatever after that date
demanded.Accordingtothestrictletterofthesectionanativewouldbeentitledtoapatentwhoprovedthathe
hadbeeninpossessionforthemonthsofJulyandAugustonlyof1898.Itisnotstatedwhetherornotonewho
receives such a patent must occupy the land for five years thereafter, as required by section 15. Neither is it
stated whether or not a person who was in possession for the month of August, 1898, would be entitled to a
patent in preference to the actual settler spoken of in section 6. When legislating upon the subjectmatter of
section14,theCommission,inActNo.926,didnotmakesuchalimitationashasbeensuggested.Section54,
paragraph6,ofthatactisasfollows:
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All persons who by themselves or their predecessors in interest have been in the open, continuous,
exclusive, and notorious possession and occupation of agricultural public land, as defined by said act of
CongressofJulyfirst,nineteenhundredandtwo,underabonafideclaimofownershipexceptasagainst
the Government, for a period of ten years next preceding the taking effect of this act, except when
prevented by war or force majeure, shall be conclusively presumed to have performed all the conditions
essentialtoaGovernmentgrantandtohavereceivedthesame,andshallbeentitledtoacertificateoftitle
tosuchlandundertheprovisionofthischapter.
It is seen that this section does not exclude foreigners, nor is it limited to tracts not exceeding 16 hectares in
extent.ToadopttheviewthatthepoweroftheCommissionissolimitedwouldrequireaholdingthatthissection
isvoidastoforeignersandastoalltractsoflandover16hectaresinextent.
Thisparagraphofsection54ofActNo.926isinsubstanceacontinuationofActNo.648andanextensionofits
provisionstoallthelandsoftheIslands.
Toadopttheconstructioncontendedforwouldleadtoanunjustresult.Bythetermsofthefirstpartofsection14
theCommissionhasthepowertoperfectthetitleto100hectaresoflandastowhichaSpaniardsmayhavedone
nothingmorethantofileanapplicationrelatingthereto,andofwhichheneverwasinpossession,whilebythe
lastpartyofthesectiontheCommissionwouldbeentirelywithoutpowertomakeanyrulesbywhichanativewho
byhimselfandhisancestorshadbeeninpossessionof100hectares.Suchadiscriminationinfavorofforeigners
andagainstthenativescouldnothavebeenintended.ItcouldnothavebeenthepurposeofCongresstogivethe
Commissionamplepowertolegislateforthebenefitofforeignersandtolimititspowertolegislateforthebenefit
ofnatives.
Themeaningofthesesectionsisnotclear,anditisdifficulttogivetothemaconstructionthatwillbeentirelyfree
from objection. But we do not think that authority given by the Commission to issue to a native a patent for 16
hectares of land of which he was in possession during the month of August, 1898, was intended to limit the
generalpowerofcontrolwhichbysection12isgiventotheCommission.
Thejudgmentofthecourtbelowisaffirmed,withthecostsofthisinstancetheappellant.Aftertheexpirationof
twenty days let final judgment be entered in accordance herewith and ten days thereafter let the cause be
remandedtothelowercourtforproperprocedure.Soordered.
Arellano,C.J.,Torres,Mapa,JohnsonandTracey,JJ.,concur.
TheLawphilProjectArellanoLawFoundation

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