Professional Documents
Culture Documents
L-26100, 1969-02-28
Division: En Banc
Citation Date: February 28, 1969
Caption / Parties CITY OF BAGUlO, REFORESTATION ADMINISTRATION,
FRANCISCO G. JOAQUIN, SR., FRANCISCO G. JOAQUIN, JR., and TERESITA J. BUCHHOLZ
petitioners,
vs.
HON. PIO R. MARCOS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of Baguio,
BELONG LUTES, and the HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS, respondents.
1st Assistant City Fiscal Dionisio C. Claridad, Augusto Tobias and Feria, Feria, Lugtu and
La'O for petitioners.
Bernardo C. Ronquillo for respondents..
Kind of Issuance
Ponente M SANCHEZ, J.:
FACTS: Facts: In April 12, 1912, the director of lands in the CFI of Baguio INSTITUTED the
reopening of cadastral proceedings. In November 13, 1922, a decision was RENDERED.
The land involved was the Baguio Townsite which was declared public land. In July 25,
1961, Belong Lutes petitioned to reopen the civil case on the following grounds: 1) he and
his predecessors have been in continuous possession and cultivation of the land since
Spanish times; 2) his predecessors were illiterate Igorots, thus, were not able to file their
claim. On the contrary, F. Joaquin Sr., F. Joaquin Jr., and Teresita Buchholz opposed
Lutes’ reopening on the following grounds: 1) the reopening was filed outside the 40-year
period provided in RA 931; 2) the petition to reopen the case was not published; and 3) as
lessees of the land, they have standing on the issue.
ISSUE: Whether or not the reopening of the petition was filed outside the 40-year period provided
in RA 931, which was ENACTED on June 20, 1953
StatCon maxim: The title is an indispensable part of a statute, and what may
inadequately be omitted in the text may be supplied or remedied by its title.