G.R. No. 128750. January 18, 2001
(C ()*+-
CARQUELO OMANDAM and ROSIO IOM,!1" #$%&%&on$r', ('. COUR O) A**EALS, +LAS RA+ASAS and AM*ARO +ONILLA, r$'#ond$n%'.
RC &''u$d a d$6&'&on, d$6ar&n/ %-a% n$&%-$r ra;a'a' and +on&a, nor %-$&r #r$d$6$''or3 #r$d$6$''or3&n3&n &n3&n%$r$' %$r$'%% $r$ $($r &n #o''$''&on #o''$''&on o %-$ and. -$ 6our% ord$r$d %-$ ra;a'a' and +on&a %o r$6on($y %-$ %&%$ o %-$ and &n %-$ na$ o %-$ #$%&%&on$r'.
)ACS On January 29, 1974, 1974, %-$ +ur$au o Land' &n *a/ad&an C&%y &''u$d &n a(or o Ca&o La'oa Homestead Patent No. Patent No. I3430 6o($r&n/ Lo% No. 874, &%- an ar$a o 2,985 ':. . &n Sa/rada, a;u&/,
.pouses ra/asas appealed to t'e Court of Appeals0 Pending t'e appeal, t'e epartment of n$ironment and atural (esources !(" 3 (egion + dismissed Omandams protest pre$iously filed &it' t'e 5ureau of *ands0 +t said t'at Omandam failed to pro$e t'at *asola, respondents6 predecesso predecessor3in3i r3in3interes nterest, t, committed committed fraud and misrepresen misrepresentation tation in acuiring t'e patent, 'ence t'ere is no ground for its re$ocation and cancellation of its corresponding title0 CA ()*+-$ Cour% o A##$a' r$($r'$d %-$ %r&a 6our%. I% d$6ar$d %-a% OMANDAM and IOM>' 6oa%$ra a%%a6? on %-$ -o$'%$ad %&%$, %o d$$a% S#ou'$' ra;a'a' a66&on #u;&6&ana, a' no% 'an6%&on$d ;y a@ %-a% %-$ #a%$n% and %&%$ o La'oa, S#ou'$' ra;a'a' #r$d$6$''or3&n3&n%$r$'%, -ad ar$ady ;$6o$ &nd$$a'&;$ '&n6$ April April 28, 1977@ 1977@ and %-a% Oanda and I%o>' a6%&on or r$6on($yan6$ &n %-$ na%ur$ o %-$&r #ro%$'% &%- %-$ +ur$au o Land' and 6oun%$r6a& &n %-$&r an'$r %o %-$ 6o#a&n% or r$6o($ry o #o''$''&on, ar$ady #r$'6r&;$d. Oanda and I%o &$d a o%&on or r$6on'&d$ra%&on, -$n6$, %-&' #$%&%&on or r$(&$. ISSUE 'at is t'e effect of t'e trial court6s court6s decision in a possessory possessory action action on t'e order of 5ureau of *ands regarding regarding a 'omestead 'omestead application application and decision of t'e ( on t'e protest o$er t'e 'omestead patent S$6%&on S$6%&on and S$6%&on o Coon$a Coon$a%%- A6% 11 *u;&6 *u;&6 Land A6%B, /&($ /&($' ' %-$ %-$ irector irector of *ands *ands #r&ar&y #r&ar&y au%-or&%yB au%-or&%yB and %o %-$ .ecretary .ecretary of Agricultur Agriculture e and atural atural (esources (esources no %-$ S$6r$%ary S$6r$%ary o D$#ar%$n% D$#ar%$n% o En(&ron En(&ron$n% $n% and Na%ura R$'our6$ R$'our6$'B 'B u%&a%$y u%&a%$y %-$ au%-or&%y au%-or&%y %o d&'#o'$ and ana/$ #u;&6 and'.
+n t'is regard, courts 'a$e no :urisdiction to inuire into t'e $alidity of t'e decree of registration issued /y t'e irector of *ands0 Only t'e ( .ecretary can re$ie&, on appeal, suc' decree0 -$ +ur$au o Land' a##ro($d La'oa' -o$'%$ad a##&6a%&on on May 21, 1948. No a##$a a' ad$ %-$r$ro. N&n$%$$n y$ar' a%$r, or on Juy 9, 1987, Oanda &$d %-$ #ro%$'% &%- %-$ +ur$au o Land'. -$r$a%$r, S#ou'$' ra;a'a' &n'%&%u%$d %-$ #r$'$n% a6%&on &n %-$ R$/&ona r&a Cour% or r$6o($ry o #o''$''&on andor on$r'-&#. -$ %r&a 6our% -$d %-a% Oanda and I%o $r$ $n%&%$d %o a d$6ara%&on o $:u&%a;$ #o''$''&on o($r %-$ ar$a &n :u$'%&on. Sa&d %r&a 6our% %-$n ord$r$d %-$ 6an6$a%&on o S#ou'$' ra;a'a' %&%$ and %-$ &''uan6$ o a n$ o n$. +n effect, t'e courts order re$ersed t'e a&ard made /y t'e irector of *ands in fa$or of *asola. 'is re$ersal &as in error, for t'e proper administrati$e agency, t'e ( under CA 141, 'ad prior :urisdiction o$er t'e patent on t'e su/:ect matter, &'ic' is t'e contested 'omestead area0
(s :urisdiction o$er pu/lic lands does not negate t'e aut'ority of courts of :ustice to resol$e uestions of possession and t'eir decisions stand in t'e meantime t'at t'e ( 'as not settled t'e respecti$e rig'ts of pu/lic land claimants0 5ut once t'e ( 'as decided, particularly &it' t'e grant of 'omestead patent and issuance of an OC and t'en C later, its decision pre$ails0 I% a##$ar' &ndu;&%a;$ %-a% #r&(a%$ r$'#ond$n%', '#ou'$' ra;a'a' and +on&a, -a($ ;$$n duy 6on&r$d &n %-$&r r&/-% %o #o''$''&on o Lo% No. 874 a' on$r' %-$r$o. +y (&r%u$ o %-$ d$$d o 'a$ $=$6u%$d ;y OC -od$r Ca&o La'oa a' $ary a' S$#%$;$r 2, 1987, &n a(or o ra;a'a', -o %-$n '$6ur$d a %ran'$r 6$r%&&6a%$ o %&%$ &n -&' na$, #r&(a%$ r$'#ond$n%' 6$ary -a($ 'u#$r&or r&/-% o($r %-$ and 6a&$d ;y #$%&%&on$r' Oanda and I%o.
*$%&%&on a' d$n&$d and %-$ d$6&'&on o %-$ CA a' a&r$d
