REPUBLIC VS IAC AND ACME G.R. NO.

73002

Acme Plywood & Veneer Co., Inc., a corp. represented by Mr. Rodolfo Nazario, acquired from Mariano
and Acer Infiel, members of the Dumagat tribe 5 parcels of land.Possession of the Infiels over the
landdates back before the Philippines was discovered by Magellan.Land sought to be registered is a
private land pursuant to RA 3872 granting absolute ownership to members of the non- Christian Tribes
on land occupied by them or their ancestral lands, whether with the alienable or disposable public land
or within the public domain.Acme Plywood & Veneer Co. Inc., has introduced more than P45M worth of
improvements.Ownership and possession of the land sought to be registered was duly recognized by the
government when the Municipal Officials of Maconacon, Isabela. Donated part of the land as the townsite
of Maconacon Isabela IAC affirmed CFI in favor of Acme Plywood & Veneer Co., Inc

Issues:

1. Whether or not the land is already a private land.

2. Whether or not the constitutional prohibition against their acquisition by private corporations or
associations applies.

Ruling:

1. YES. Already acquired, by operation of law not only a right to a grant, but a grant of the
Government, for it is not necessary that a certificate of title should be issued in order that said
grant may be sanctioned by the courts, an application therefore is sufficient

It had already ceased to be of the public domain and had become private property, at least by
presumption. The application for confirmation is mere formality, the lack of which does not affect
the legal sufficiency of the title as would be evidenced by the patent and the Torrens title to be
issued upon the strength of said patent. The effect of the proof, wherever made, was not to confer
title, but simply to establish it, as already conferred by the decree, if not by earlier law

2. NO. If it is accepted-as it must be-that the land was already private land to which the Infields had
a legally sufficient and transferable title On October 29, 1962 when Acme acquired it from said
owners, it must also be conceded that Acme had a perfect right to make such acquisition. The
only limitation then extant was that corporations could not acquire, hold or lease public
agricultural lands in excess of 1,024 hectares.