Source: http://lawlibrary.chanrobles.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=50668:gr-163566-2008&amp;catid=1502&amp;Itemid=566
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 02:02:17+00:00

Document:
RAYMUNDO and PERLA DE GUZMAN, Petitioners, v. PRAXIDES J. AGBAGALA, Respondent.
This is a Petition for Review on Certiorari 1 of a decision2 and resolution3 of the Court of Appeals (CA) dated October 14, 2003 and April 20, 2004, respectively, in CA-G.R. CV No. 55238 which affirmed the decision of the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Lingayen, Pangasinan, Branch 37 dated May 30, 1996 in Civil Case No. 16516.
In a decision promulgated on October 14, 2003, the CA affirmed the decision of the RTC. It denied reconsideration in a resolution promulgated on April 20, 2004.
Petitioners argue that at the time of the filing of the amended complaint on September 15, 1988, OCT No. P-30187 had already been issued in their name. Thus this certificate of title can only be nullified in an action directly attacking its validity.
Respondent counters that at the time the amended complaint was filed, OCT No. P-30187 (which was issued on December 11, 1987) was not yet indefeasible since less than one year had lapsed. Furthermore, she asserts that the doctrine of indefeasibility does not apply if the free patent is null and void ab initio.
Sec. 32. Review of decree of registration; Innocent purchaser for value. â€• The decree of registration shall not be reopened or revised by reason of absence, minority, or other disability of any person adversely affected thereby, nor by any proceeding in any court for reversing judgment, subject, however, to the right of any person, including the government and the branches thereof, deprived of land or of any estate or interest therein by such adjudication or confirmation of title obtained by actual fraud, to file in the proper [court] a petition for reopening and review of the decree of registration not later than one year from and after the date of the entry of such decree of registration, but in no case shall such petition be entertained by the court where an innocent purchaser for value has acquired the land or an interest therein whose rights may be prejudiced. Whenever the phrase "innocent purchaser for value" or an equivalent phrase occurs in this Decree, it shall be deemed to include an innocent lessee, mortgagee, or other encumbrancer for value.
Upon the expiration of said period of one year, the decree of registration and the certificate of title issued shall become incontrovertible. Any person aggrieved by such decree of registration in any case may pursue his remedy by action for damages against the applicant or any other person responsible for the fraud.
In the present case, the attack on OCT No. P-30187 was merely collateral because the action was principally for the declaration of nullity of the deed of donation and the other deeds of conveyance which followed.
Therefore, although OCT No. P-30187 was merely collaterally attacked, it was still correctly nullified because the free patent on which it was based was null and void ab initio.
WHEREFORE, the petition is hereby DENIED. The October 14, 2003 decision and April 20, 2004 resolution of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CV No. 55238 are AFFIRMED.
2 Penned by Associate Justice B. A. Adefuin-de la Cruz (retired) and concurred in by Associate Justices Eliezer R. de los Santos and Jose C. Mendoza of the Ninth Division of the Court of Appeals; rollo, pp. 22-31.
3 No copy of the resolution could be found in the rollo.
4 In the amended complaint dated September 8, 1988, Encarnacion's surname was "Ongpoy." Rollo, p. 72.
5 These were covered by tax declaration numbers 1235, 1236, 1244, 48, 3743. The first three were located in Aguilar, Pangasinan and the last two in Lingayen, Pangasinan; id., p. 69.
8 In Avenida Rizal East, Lingayen; id.
13 Mauro Agustin was the transferee of a parcel of residential land situated along Avenida Rizal East, Lingayen, Pangasinan. Dionisio and Remedios Castro were the transferees of the one-half eastern portion of a low rice land situated in Pogonboa, Aguilar, Pangasinan and with an area of 9,468 sq. m. Guillermo and Betty de Leon were transferees of an irrigated rice land with an area of 4,400 sq. m., more or less, situated at Tampac, Aguilar, Pangasinan and another irrigated rice land with an area of 5,756 sq. m., more or less, situated in Pogonboa, Aguilar, Pangasinan; id. p. 24.
14 The rollo does not indicate the size of the property transferred to petitioners nor does it contain a copy of the deed of sale covering said property.
15 Assistant Chief and Handwriting Examiner, Questioned Documents Section; rollo, p. 27.
19 Id., pp. 25, 27-28.
20 Namely the Spouses Agustin, Spouses Castro and Spouses de Leon; id., p. 22.
23 Borbajo v. Hidden View Homeowners, Inc., G.R. No. 152440, 31 January 2005, 450 SCRA 315, 325; YbaÃ±ez v. Intermediate Appellate Court, G.R. No. 68291, 6 March 1991, 194 SCRA 743, 749.
24 Ingusan v. Heirs of Aureliano I. Reyes, G.R. No. 142938, 28 August 2007.
25 Heirs of Enrique Diaz v. Virata, G.R. No. 162037, 7 August 2006, 498 SCRA 141, 164-165, citing Sarmiento v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 152627, 16 September 2005, 470 SCRA 99, 107-108.
26 Ferrer v. Bautista, G.R. No. 46963, 14 March 1994, 231 SCRA 257, 262, citing Agne v. Director of Lands, G.R. NOS. 40399 & 72255, 6 February 1990, 181 SCRA 793, 806-807 and Estoesta, Sr. v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 74817, 8 November 1989, 179 SCRA 203.
28 Moreover, petitioners did not question these findings of fact.
29 Heirs of Simplicio Santiago v. Heirs of Mariano E. Santiago, G.R. No. 151440, 17 June 2003, 404 SCRA 193, 199, citing Magistrado v. Esplana, G.R. No. 54191, 8 May 1990, 185 SCRA 104, 109.
30 Ferrer v. Bautista, supra at note 26, citing Tuason v. Court of Appeals, G.R. NOS. L-48297 and L-48265, 7 January 1987, 147 SCRA 37, 47.

References: v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v.