Rodil vs. Benedicto Case Digest

Rodil vs. Benedicto January 22, 1980  No. L-28616 Facts

Spouses Tomas Tomas and Catalina Rodil are te ad!udi"atee o# a prior "adastral "ase in 19$8. %n &e'ruary 19$9, eirs o# one (le!andro ('es #iled a petition #or re)ie* o# te re+istration de"ree, alle+in+ tat tey are te true o*ners and a"tual le+al possessors po ssessors o# te land, and tat te a*ard to te Spouses Rodil *as se"ured trou+ #raud. Te "adastral "ourt denied te petition #or #ailure to o)er"ome te e)iden"e o# te spouses. No appeal *as taen 'y te eirs. %n 1961, te eirs instituted an a"tion #or re"on)eyan"e o# title a+ainst te spouses. Tey in)oed te same +rounds as a'o)e. Te "ase *as dismissed 'e"ause o# res judicata. Tis de"ision *as a##irmed 'y te Supreme Court. pon te return o# te re"ords to te lo*er "ourt, te spouses #iled a petition #or issuan"e o# a *rit o# possession. Te !ud+e, respondent erein, issued an order +rantin+ te petition only a+ainst te eirs and denied te same *it respe"t to te oter respondents statin+ tat e is "ompletely at a loss as to *o, aside #rom te eirs, *ere parties to te ori+inal "adastral  pro"eedin+ or as to *o *ere at least o""upants o# te properties in uestion prior to te issuan"e o# te de"ree o# re+istration. Te eirs #iled a motion #or re"onsideration upon te +rounds tat/ a te petition #or te issuan"e o# a *rit o# possession *as #iled out o# time and ' tere is no alle+ation in te  petition, and neiter ad it 'een pro)ed, tat te eirs *ere de#eated in a re+istration pro"eedin+, or tat tey *ere ad)ersely o""upyin+ te land durin+ te pro"eedin+s or at any time up to te issuan"e o# te #inal de"ree, or tat tey *ere one a+ainst tose a+ainst a+a inst *om a *rit o#  possession may 'e made. Respondent !ud+e +ranted te eirs3 motion #or re"onsideration and ordered te dissolution o# te *rit. Te spouses #iled a motion #or re"onsideration, 'ut *as denied. Te spouses no* #iled tis petition #or mandamus to "o mpel respondent !ud+e to issue a *rit o# possession. Issue

4eter or not respondent !ud+e erred in dissol)in+ te *rit on te +rounds relied upon and *eter or not te issuan"e o# anoter is in order. Held

Te ri+t o# te appli"ant or a su'seuent pur"aser to as #or te issuan"e o# a *rit o# a)  possession o# te land ne)er pres"ri'es (Manlapas and Tolentino Tolentino vs. Lorente). Te pro)ision in te Rules o# Court to te e##e"t tat !ud+ement ma y 'e en#or"ed *itin #i)e years 'y motion, and a#ter #i)e years 'ut *itin ten years 'y an a"tion Se". 6, Rule 59 re#ers to "i)il a"tion and is not appli"a'le to spe"ial pro"eedin+s, su" as land re+istration "ases. n spe"ial pro"eedin+s, te purpose is to esta'lis a status, "ondition or #a"t in land re+istration pro"eedin+s, te o*nersip 'y a person o# a par"el o# land is sou+t to  'e esta'lised. (#ter (#ter te o*nersip as 'een pro)ed and "on#irmed 'y !udi"ial de"laration, no #urter pro"eedin+ to en#or"e said o*nersip is ne"essary, e7"ept *en

te ad)erse or losin+ party ad 'een in possession o# te land and te *innin+ party desires to oust im tere#rom. b) ( "adastral pro"eedin+ is a pro"eedin+ in rem and a+ainst e)ery'ody, in"ludin+ te respondent eirs erein. esides, te eirs a)e #iled a petition #or te re)ie* o# te de"ree o# re+istration, tere'y  'e"omin+ a dire"t party in te re+istration pro"eedin+s 'y teir )oluntary appearan"e. (s to teir alle+ed unpro)ed ad)erse possession o# te land, te re"ords o# te "ase in teir suit #or re"on)eyan"e o##ers numerous instan"es o# teir admission o# possession o# te land 'e#ore, durin+ and a#ter te re+istration pro"eedin+.