Land Titles and Deeds: LIGON vs CA
L ET I CI A P . LI GO N, pe ti ti o ner, vs . CO U RT OF A PP E AL S, JU DG E C EL IA LI P A NA - R E Y E S,
P re siding Judg e, B ran ch 81, R eg io n al T r ial Cou rt of Que zon Ci ty, Igl esi a n i K r isto and th e
Reg i ste r of Deed s o f Qu e zo n City , r esp ond ent . [ G. R. No. 10 775 1. June 1, 19 95 ]
F ACT S: O n 1 9 Oct obe r 1 9 90 re sp ond ent Ig le si a n i K rist o ( IN K) fi le d wit h t he R egi ona l Tr ia l Cour t
of Que zon C it y a c omp la in t for s pec if ic per form an ce wi th dama ge s a ga ins t t he Isl ami c D irec tor ate
of t he P hi li ppi ne s (I D P). I n i ts co mpl ai nt, I NK a ll ege d th at by v irtu e o f a n Ab so lut e Dee d o f Sa le
date d 2 0 Apr il 19 89 , I D P s old to I NK i ts tw o ( 2) p arc els of l and lo ca ted at Tan dang Sora , Barr io
Cu lia t, Qu ezo n Ci ty. T h e p arti es st ip ula ted i n t he de ed o f sal e t hat th e I D P sh all un dert ak e t o
evi ct al l squ att ers an d il le gal o c cu pan ts in th e pr ope rty wi th in fort y - f iv e (4 5) d ays fro m t he
exe cut io n o f t he co ntra ct. Ho we ver, I D P f ai led to fu lf il l t hi s o bl iga ti on. H enc e I N K pr ay ed tha t t he
tria l cour t o rder I D P t o c o mpl y wit h it s o bl iga tio n b a sed on th eir co ntra ct .
Mean wh il e in it s a ns wer, I D P a ll ege d t hat i t was a ct ual ly I NK w hi ch v iol ate d t h e c ontr act b y
del ay ing th e p aym ent of th e pur ch as e pr ic e a nd pra y ed t hat th e con tra ct of sa l e be re sc ind ed and
revo ked .
Later on , I N K fi led a mot io n i n t he sam e cas e p ray in g th at pet it ion er Let ic ia Li gon, w ho wa s in
pos se ss ion of th e cert if ica tes of ti tl e o ver th e pr oper tie s a s mort gag ee of ID P , be d ire cte d to
surre nder th e cert if ic ate s to t he Re gi ste r o f Dee ds o f Q uez on C ity fo r t he r eg is trat ion of th e
Ab so lut e Dee d o f Sa le in i ts name . I N K al l eg ed tha t the do cum ent co ul d n ot be reg ist ere d
bec aus e o f t he ref usa l and /or f ai lur e o f L igo n t o d el i ver the ce rti fi cat es of t itl e de spi te r ep eat ed
reque st s.
In re pl y, Li gon f ile d a n o p pos it ion to th e m oti on on t he gr oun d t ha t t he ID P wa s n ot ser ved c opy
of t he mot io n, and th e o wn ersh ip of th e I N K o ver th e prope rty w as st il l in i ssu e sin ce re sc is sio n
wa s s oug ht by th e I D P as a c oun terc la im. She pra ye d th at the mo ti on be den ie d, b ut sh oul d it be
grant ed, th e Reg i ster of D eed s b e d ire cte d a fter re gi stra tio n t o del iv er t he o wn er's du pl ic ate
cop ie s o f t he n e w c ert if ica tes of ti tl e t o h er. In add it i on t o t hi s, Li gon fi le d a Su ppl emen ta l
Opp os iti on que st io nin g t h e j uri sdi ct io n o f t he tri al c ourt be cau se th e mo ti on in vol ve d t he
regi str abi li ty of th e d oc um ent of sa l e, an d she w as n ot m ade a part y to the ma i n c ase .
T RI AL CO U RT RUL IN G (f i rst): O n 2 Mar ch 19 92 the tri al co urt gra nte d t he mo tio n o f I N K a nd
order ed pet it ion er t o surre nder to IN K th e o wn er' s co py of RT - 2 652 1 ( 170 567) and RT - 265 20
(1766 16) in op en co urt for the reg is tra tio n o f t he A b sol ute D eed of Sa le in the la tter 's na me and
the ann ota ti on of the mor t gage e xec ute d in fa vor of pet iti oner o n t he ne w tr an sfer ce rti fi cat es of
tit le to be is su ed to IN K .
T RI AL CO U RT RUL IN G ( s eco n d ): On mo tio n o f p et it ion er L igo n, th e tr ia l cour t rec ons id ered i ts
earl ier ord er b y dir ect in g Lig on to del iv er the ce rti fi cat es of ti tle to th e R e gi st er of D eed s of
Que zon C it y ins tea d.
Pe tit io ner fi led a pet it io n f or c ert iorar i wi th the C our t of A ppe al s see ki ng the an nulm ent of t he
two (2) ord ers .
CO UR T O F AP P E AL S R U LIN G: Di smi s sed th e p eti ti on a nd aff irm ed the ord ers of the tr ial c ourt .
This i s a p eti ti on for r ev ie w o f t he de ci sio n o f t he C ourt of A ppe al s wh ich af fir med the ord er of
the Re gi ona l Tr ia l Cour t o f Qu ezo n Ci ty, Br. 82, gr an tin g t he m ot ion of re spo nd ent of Ig les ia ni
Kr ist o t o d ire ct pe tit io ner t o s urren der th e o wn er' s d upl ic ate of th e c ert if ica te s of ti tle i n h er
pos se ss ion .
IS S U E: Wh eth er t he RT C has jur i sdi ct ion to or der th e pe ti tio ner to sur ren der t he d up li cat e
cop ie s?
H ELD: Y ES , th e RTC has jur isdi ction to o rd e r the petition e r to su r rend e r t he dupl icat e
copie s . Un der our la nd r e gis trat io n la w, no vo lun tar y i ns trum ent sh al l be r egi s tered b y t he
Reg is ter of De ed s u nl es s t he o wn er' s d up li cat e cert if ica te is pr ese nte d t oge the r w ith su ch
ins trum ent , e xc ept i n som e c ase s or u pon ord er of t he cour t f or cau se sh ow n. In cas e t he per son
in pos se ss ion of t he dup li cat e c ert if ica te s re fu ses o r fa il s t o surre nder th e sa me t o t he Re gi ster
of Dee ds so th at a vol un ta ry d ocu men t m ay be reg is t ered and a ne w cert if ic ate is su ed, S ec . 1 07,
Cha pter 10 , o f P. D. N o. 15 29 cle arl y sta te s: Se c. 10 7. Surr end er of wi thh el d d upl ic ate
cert if ica te s . — W here it i s ne ces sar y to is sue a ne w cert if ic a te of ti tl e p urs uan t to an y
inv ol unt ary in str ume nt wh i ch di ves ts th e t it le of the r egi ster ed ow ner ag ain st h i s c on sen t or
wher e a v olu nt ary in str um ent ca nno t b e re gi ster ed b y re aso n o f the ref usa l or fai lure of t he
hol der to surr end er t he ow ner' s d up li cat e c ert if ica te of t it le, th e p art y in int ere st m ay f ile a
pet iti on in co urt to co mpe l surr end er o f t he sa me to the Re gi ster o f D ee ds. Th e c ourt , a fter
hear ing , m ay ord er t he r eg ist ered o wne r or an y pers on wi thh old in g t he dup li ca te cert if ic ate to
surre nder t h e sam e a nd di rect th e e ntr y o f a ne w cer tif ic ate or mem oran dum up on suc h
surre nder . I f t he per son w i thho ld ing th e d up li cat e cer tif ic ate i s n ot ame nab le to the pro ce ss of
the co urt, or if for an y r ea son th e o uts tan di ng ow ner 's dup li ca te cert if ic ate c an not be de li vere d,
the co urt may or der the an nulm ent of t he sam e a s w ell a s t he is sua nc e o f a ne w cert if ica te of
tit le in l ieu th ereo f. S uc h new , cert if ic ate an d a ll du pli ca tes th ere of sha ll c ont ain a m emo ran dum
of t he ann ul men t o f t he ou tst and ing du pl ic ate .
Be fore th e e na ctm ent of P .D. N o. 152 9 o ther w is e k n own a s t he Pr oper ty R egi s trat ion D ecr ee , th e
former l aw , Ac t No. 49 6 o t herw is e kno wn a s t he Lan d R eg istr at ion Act , a nd al l jur is prud en ce
int erpre ti ng the for mer la w had e sta bl ish ed th at sum mary rel ie fs su ch a s an a c tio n t o c omp el th e
surre nder of o wn er' s d upl i cat e c ert if ica te of ti tle to t he Reg is ter of De ed s cou l d on ly be f ile d wi th
and gran ted b y t he Re gi on al Tr ia l Cour t si tti ng as a l and r eg ist rat ion c ourt i f t h ere wa s u nan im ity
amon g t he part ie s o r t here w a s no adv ers e cla im or seri ou s o bj ect io n o n t he p art o f a ny par ty in
int eres t, ot her wi se, if th e cas e b ec ame co nte nt iou s and co ntro ver si al it s hou ld be thre sh ed out i n
an or di nar y a ct ion or in th e c ase w here t he in cid ent prope rl y b elo nge d.
Land Titles and Deeds: LIGON vs CA

Un der S ec . 2 of P .D . No. 1529 , it is no w pro vid ed th at "C ourt s of F irs t I ns tan c e (no w Re gi ona l
T ria l Cour ts) sh al l h av e e x clu si ve ju ri sdi ct ion o ver al l a ppl ic at ion s f or ori gin al r egi stra ti on of
tit le s t o l and s, in c lud ing i mpro veme nt s a nd in tere st there in an d o ver al l pet it io ns fi led af ter
orig ina l r eg ist rat ion of t itl e, wi th po wer to hear an d deter mi ne al l q ues ti on s ar i sin g u pon s uch
app li cat ion s or p et iti on s. " T he a bo ve pro vi sio n has e lim ina te d t he di sti nc tio n b etw een th e g ene ral
juri sd ic ti on ve ste d i n t he r egi ona l tr ia l cour t a nd th e lim ite d jur isd ic ti on co nferr ed u pon i t b y t he
former l aw w hen a cti ng m erel y a s a cad astr al c ourt . A ime d a t a vo id ing mu lt ipl i cit y of su its th e
cha nge ha s sim pl if ied reg i stra tio n p roc eed in gs by c o nferr ing up on the re gio na l tria l cour ts th e
auth ori ty to ac t n ot on ly o n ap pl ic ati on s f or or ig in al regi str ati on but a lso o ver all pe ti tio ns fi le d
after or ig ina l r egi str at ion of t it le, w it h p ow er t o h ear and de term in e a ll qu es tio ns ari si ng upo n
suc h a pp li cat ion s or p et iti ons .

T he p rin ci pa l a ct ion f ile d by IN K in C iv il C as e No. Q - 90- 6 937 be fore th e tr ia l c ourt wa s for

spe ci fi c p erfor man ce w ith dama ges b ase d o n a do cu ment of sa le . Su ch ac ti on wa s wel l wi th in the
exc lu si ve jur is di ct ion s of t he Reg io nal T ri al C ourt . W hen ID P , t he def end ant i n the tri al co urt , d id
not que st ion th e g enu in en ess an d val id it y o f sai d d e ed o f sal e a nd it s o bl ig ati ons th ereu nder , t he
summ ary j udgm ent i ss ued by the co urt gra nti ng th e r eli ef s s oug ht by I N K was a lso an e xer ci se of
its ge nera l jur is di ct ion .

Hen ce , whe n I N K f il ed a m oti on for the i ss uan ce of a n ord er from th e s ame c ou rt to c omp el the
hol der of the du pl ic ate ce r tif ic ate s o f t it le to sur ren d er th e sam e t o t he Re gi ste r of De ed s f or t he
regi str ati on of the de ed of sa le su bje ct of th e pr in ci pal ac ti on, th e m oti on wa s a n e c es sar y
inc id ent to th e m ain c ase . Wh en the sa le of th e pr op erty w as uph el d b y the co urt in it s jud gmen t
and the de fen dan t wa s d ir ect ed to com pl y wi th it s t e rms and co nd iti on s, the ri ght of IN K to ha ve
the sam e r egi st ered w it h t he Reg is ter of De ed s cou l d n o t b e d is reg arde d. T o a sser t a nd en jo y i ts
righ t, IN K sh ou ld be al lo w ed t o see k t he ai d o f t he c ourt to dir ec t t he surr end e r of the c ert ifi ca tes
of t it le. Sin ce R eg ion al T ri al Co urts ar e c our ts of ge nera l j uri sd ic tio n, th ey ma y t here fore ta ke
cog ni zan ce of th is ca se pu rsua nt to su ch jur is di ct ion . Ev en wh il e Se c. 10 7 o f P. D. 15 29 spe ak s
of a pe ti tio n wh ich c an be fil ed by on e who w ant s t o comp el an oth er t o surre nd er th e cert if ic ate s
of t it le to the R eg ist er of Dee ds , t hi s d oes no t p rec l ude a p art y t o a pe nd ing c ase to in cl ude a s
inc id ent th ere in the re lie f sta ted un der S ec. 10 7, es pec ia ll y i f t he su bj ect c ert i fic ate s of tit le to
be surre nder ed are in ti mat ely c onn ect ed w ith th e sub jec t m att er o f t he pri nc ipa l ac tio n. T hi s
prin ci pl e i s bas ed on ex pe die nc y a nd in ac cor dan ce wi th the po li cy ag ain st mu l tip li ci ty of su it s.