Source: https://tr.scribd.com/document/356901563/Hilario-vs-City-of-Manila
Timestamp: 2019-07-20 15:51:42
Document Index: 75539290

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 553', 'Art. 73', 'Art. 339', 'Art. 73', 'Art. 372', 'Art. 73', 'Art. 312', 'Art. 70', 'Art. 372', 'Art. 33', 'Art. 553', 'Art. 73', 'Art. 73', 'Art. 553', 'Art. 339', 'Art. 36', 'Art. 73', 'Art. 339', 'Art. 36', 'Art. 73', 'Art. 74', 'Art. 370']

Hilario vs. City of Manila | Flood | River
Hilario vs. City of Manila
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Beverly S. Reese, Personal Representative of the Estate of James C. Reese, on Behalf of the Estate of James C. Reese and on Behalf of Beverly S. Reese, Surviving Wife of James C. Reese, Jamie L. Reese, Surviving Minor Daughter of James C. Reese, Leandra J. Reese, Surviving Minor Daughter of James C. Reese, Leandra J. Reese, Intervenor v. South Florida Water Management District, an Agency And/or Subdivision of the State of Florida, Defendant-Third-Party v. United States Army Corps of Engineers, Terrence C. Salt, as District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, Thomas Taylor, Third-Party, 59 F.3d 1128, 3rd Cir. (1995)
HILARIO vs.
CITY OF MANILA and excavations of gravel and sand from the strip of land
along an area near the River.
On October 22, 1949, plaintiff filed his complaint 7 for
Dr. Jose Hilario was the registered owner of a large tract of injunction and damages against the defendants City Engineer
land around 49 hectares in area located at Barrio of Manila, District Engineer of Rizal, the Director of Public
Guinayang, in San Mateo, Rizal.1 Upon his death, this Works, and Engr. Busuego, the Engineer-in-charge of the
property was inherited by his son, herein plaintiff-appellant plant. It was prayed that the latter be restrained from
Jose Hilario, Jr., to whom a new certificate of title 2 was excavating, bulldozing and extracting gravel, sand and soil
issued. from his property and that they solidarily pay to him
P5,000.00 as damages. Defendants' answer alleged, in
During the lifetime of plaintiff's father, the Hilario estate was affirmative defense, that the extractions were made from the
bounded on the western side by the San Mateo River. 3To riverbed while counterclaiming with a prayer for injunction
prevent its entry into the land, a bamboo and lumber post against plaintiffwho, it was claimed, was preventing them
dike or ditch was constructed on the northwestern side. This from their operations.
was further fortified by a stonewall built on the northern side.
For years, these safeguards served their purpose. However, in Subsequently, the Bureau of Mines and Atty. Maximo
1937, a great and extraordinary flood occurred which Calalang were respectively allowed to join the litigation as
inundated the entire place including the neighboring barrios intervenors. The former complained that the disputed area
and municipalities. The river destroyed the dike on the was within the bed of the river so that plaintiff should not
northwest, left its original bed and meandered into the Hilario only be enjoined from making extractions therefrom but
estate, segregating from the rest thereof a lenticular place of should also be ordered to pay the fees and penalties for the
land. The disputed area is on the eastern side of this materials taken by him. On the other hand, the latter claimed
lenticular strip which now stands between the old riverbed that he was authorized by plaintiff to extract materials from
site and the new course.4 the disputed area but this notwithstanding, the Provincial
Treasurer of Rizal collected from him a sand and gravel fee
In 1945 the U.S. Army opened a sand and gravel plant within which would be an illegal exaction if the disputed area turns
the premises5 and started scraping, excavating and extracting out to be of private ownership. Answers to the two complaints
soil, gravel and sand from the nearby areas the River. The in intervention were duly filed by the affected parties.
operations eventually extended northward into this strip of
land. Consequently, a claim for damages was filed with the On March 14, 1954, defendants filed a petition for injunction
U.S. War Department by Luis Hilario, the then administrator against plaintiff and intervenor Calalang in the same case,
of Dr. Hilario's estate. The U.S. Army paid. 6 In 1947, the plant alleging that the latter have fenced off the disputed area in
was turned over to herein defendants-appellants and appellee contravention of an agreement8 had between the latter and
who took over its operations and continued the extractions the Director of Public Works wherein he defendants were
allowed to continue their operations but subject to the final
outcome of the pending suit. It was prayed that plaintiff and Finally, on December 21, 1956, the lower court rendered its
intervenor Calalang be ordered to remove the fence and allow decision on the merits. The dispositive portion provided:14
defendants' men to continue their operations unhampered.
Opposition to this petition was filed by the other side, with a WHEREFORE, judgment is hereby rendered against the
prayer for counter injunction. On March 23, 1954, the lower defendants City of Manila and the Director of Public
court issued an order maintaining the status quo and Works, to pay solidarily the herein plaintiff the sum of
allowing the defendants to continue their extractions from the P376,989.60, as the cost of gravel and sand extracted
disputed area provided a receipt9 in plaintiff's favor be issued from plaintiff's land, plus costs. Judgment is likewise
for all the materials taken. hereby rendered against the defendant Provincial
Treasurer of Rizal, ordering him to reimburse to
On May 13, 1954, plaintiff amended his complaint. Impleaded intervenor Maximo Calalang the amount of P236.80
as additional defendants were the City of Manila, 10the representing gravel fees illegally collected. Finally,
Provincial Treasurer of Rizal, 11 and Engr. Eugenio Sese, the defendants herein are perpetually enjoined from
new Engineer-in-charge of the plant. Plaintiff also converted extracting any sand or gravel from plaintiff's property
his claim to one purely for damages directed against the City which is two-fifths northern portion of the disputed
of Manila and the Director of Public Works, solidarily, in the area.
amount of P1,000,000.00, as the cost of materials taken since
1949, as well as those to be extracted therefrom until It is so ordered.
defendants stop their operations.
None of the parties litigants seemed satisfied with this
Came the separate amended answers of the several decision and they all sought a reconsideration of the same.
defendants. Manila City denied ownership of the plant and On August 30, 1957, the lower court resolved the motions to
claimed that the City Engineer, acted merely as a deputy of reconsider with an order, the dispositive portion of which
the Public Works Director. The other defendants12 put up, as provided:15
special defense, the agreement between plaintiff and the
Public Works Director, and asserted a P1.2 million WHEREFORE, the court hereby denies the motion for
counterclaim for damages against plaintiff. The rest 13 renewed reconsideration filed by plaintiff and intervenor
the same defense; that the disputed area was part of the Calalang; dismisses the complaint with respect to
public domain, since it was situated on the riverbanks. defendant City of Manila; holds that the northern two-
fifths portion of the area in controversy belongs to the
On November 3, 1954, the defendant City Engineer of Manila plaintiff with right to the immediate possession thereof
filed a petition to delimit the area of excavation and asked the and hereby enjoins the defendants and intervenor
lower court to authorize his men to extend their operations Bureau of Mines to vacate the same and to stop from
west of the camachile tree in the disputed area. This met extracting gravel thereon. The Court however hereby
vigorous opposition from plaintiff and intervenor Calalang. On dismisses the case against the defendant Bureau of
May 27, 1955, the petition was denied. Public Works and its agents and employees insofar as
the claim for money is concerned without prejudice to
plaintiffs taking such action as he may deem proper to then Art. 553 of the old Civil Code and the second sentence,
enforce said claim against the proper party in first paragraph of Art. 73 of the Law of Waters can never have
accordance with law. any application.
It is so ordered. Since the change in the course of the River took place in
1937, long before the present Civil Code took effect,19 the
Still unsatisfied, plaintiff and intervenor Calalang filed a question before Us should be determined in accordance with
second motion for reconsideration. The lower court stood firm the provisions of the old Civil Code and those of the Law of
on its ruling of August 30, 1957.16 Waters of August 3, 1866.
Hence, this appeal.17 The defendants Director of Public Works, We agree with defendants that under the cited laws, all
City Engineer of Manila, and Engrs. Busuego and Sese have riverbanks are of public ownership including those formed
also appealed from the declaration made by the lower court when a river leaves its old bed and opens a new course
that the northern two-fifths of the disputed area belongs to through a private estate. Art. 339 of the old Civil Code is very
plaintiff Hilario. clear. Without any qualifications, it provides:
The parties herein have presented before this Court mixed Property of public ownership is
questions of law and fact for resolution and adjudication.
Foremost among them is this legal query; when a river, 1. That devoted to public use, such as roads, canals,
leaving its old bed, changes its original course and opens a rivers, torrents, ports and bridges constructed by the
new one through private property, would the new riverbanks State, riverbanks, shores, roadsteads, and that of a
lining said course be of public ownership also?18 similar character; (Emphasis supplied)
The defendants answer in the affirmative. They claim that Moreover, as correctly contended by defendants, the riverbank
under the Law of Waters of August 3, 1866, the riverbanks is part of the riverbed. Art. 73 of the Law of Waters which
are, by definition, considered part of the riverbed which is defines the phrase "banks of a river" provides:
always of public ownership. On the other hand, plaintiff
would have the question resolved in the negative. He By the phrase "banks of a river" is understood those
maintains that not all riverbanks are of public ownership lateral strips or zones of its bed which are washed by
because: (1) Art. 372 of the old Civil Code, which governs this the stream only during such high floods as do not cause
particular case, speaks only of the new bed; nothing is said inundations. ... (Emphasis supplied)
about the new banks; (2) Art. 73 of the Law of Waters which
defines the phrase "banks of a river" cannot be applied in the The use the of words "of its bed [de sus alveos]" clearly
case at bar in conjunction with the other articles cited by indicates the intent of the law to consider the banks
defendants since that article applies only to banks for all legal purposes as part of the riverbed. The
of natural riverbeds and the present, River is not in lower court also ruled correctly that the banks of
its natural bed; and (3) if all banks were of public ownership, the River are paint of its bed. 20 Since undeniably all
beds of rivers are of public ownership, 21 it follows that a compound idea; it cannot exist without all its paints.
the banks, which form part of them, are also of public Evaporate the water, and you have a dry hollow. If you
ownership. could sink the bed, instead of a river, you would have a
fathomless gulf. Remove the banks, and you have a
Plaintiff's contention that Arts. 70 and 73 of the Law of boundless flood.25
Waters cannot apply because Art. 312 of the old Civil Code
mentions only the new bed but omits the banks, and that said Since a river is but one compound concept, it should have
articles only apply to natural meaning original bed and only one nature, i.e., it should either be totally public or
banks is untenable. Art. 70, which defines beds of rivers and completely private. And since rivers are of public
creeks, provides: ownership,26 it is implicit that all the three component
elements be of the same nature also. As Manresa commented:
The natural bed or channel of a creek or river is the
ground covered by its waters during the highest Realmente no puede imaginarse un rio sin alveo y sin
[ordinary] floods.22 (Emphasis supplied) ribera; de suerte que al decir el Codigo Civil que los rios
son de dominio publico, parece que debe ir implicito el
Art. 372 of the old Civil Code which provides that dominio publico de anquellos tres elementos que
integran el rio.27
Whenever a navigable or floatable river changes its
course from natural causes and opens a new However, to dispel all possible doubts, the law expressly
bed through a private estate, the new bed shall be of makes all three elements public. Thus, riverbanks and beds
public ownership, but the owner of the estate shall are public under Arts. 339 and 407, respectively, of the Code,
recover it in the event that the waters leave it dry again while the flowing waters are declared so under Art. 33, par. 2
either naturally or as the result of any work legally of the Law of Waters of 1866.
authorized for this purpose. (Emphasis supplied)
Articles 70, 72 and 73 of the Law of Waters speak
did not have to mention the banks because it was of natural beds and their banks. Plaintiff now equates the
unnecessary. The nature of the banks always follows term "natural" with the word "original" so that a change in the
that of the bed and the running waters of the river. A course of a river would render those articles inapplicable.
river is a compound concept consisting of three However, the premise is incorrect. Diccionario De La Real
elements: (1) the running waters, (2) the bed and (3) the Academia Espaola defines the word "natural" as follows:
banks. 23 All these constitute the river. American
authorities are in accord with this view: NATURAL perteneciente a la naturaleza o conforme a
la calidad o propriedad de las cosas; nativo, originario
'River' consists of water, a bed and banks.24 de un pueblo o nacion; hecho con verdad, ni artificio,
mezcla ni composicion alguna; ingenuo y sin doblez en
A "river" consists of water, a bed and banks, these su modo de proceder; diceze tambien de las cosas que
several parts constituting the river, the whole river. It is imitar a la naturaleza con propiedad; regular y que
comunmente sucede, y por eso, facilmente creible; que merely recognized and preserved the vested rights of riparian
se produce por solas las fuerzas de la naturaleza, como owners who, because of prior law or custom, were able to
contrapuesto a sobre natural y milagroso, (Emphasis acquire ownership over the banks. This was possible under
supplied) the Siete Partidas which was promulgated in 1834
yet.29 Under Law 6, Title 28, Partidas 3, the banks of rivers
"Natural" is not made synonymous to "original" or "prior belonged to the riparian owners, following the Roman Law
condition". On the contrary, even if a river should leave its rule.30 In other words, they were privately owned then. But
original bed so long as it is due to the force of nature, the new subsequent legislation radically changed this rule. By the Law
course would still fall within the scope of the definition of Waters of August 3, 1866, riverbanks became of public
provided above. Hence, the law must have used the word ownership, albeit impliedly only because considered part of
"natural" only because it is in keeping with the ordinary the bed which was public by statutory definition. 31 But
nature and concept of a river always to have a bed and banks. this law, while expressly repealing all prior inconsistent laws,
left undisturbed all vested rights then existing. 32 So privately
Plaintiff's third point is not lightly to be taken. Indeed, it owned banks then continued to be so under the new law, but
would seem possible to acquire private ownership of banks they were subjected by the latter to an easement for public
under Art. 553 of the old Civil Code which provides: use. As Art. 73 provides:
Las riberas de los rios, aun cuando sean de dominio Se entienden por riberas de un rio las fajas o zonis
privado, estan sujetas en toda su extension y en sus laterales de sus alveos que solamente sor baadas por
margenes, en una zona de tres metros, a la servidumbre las aguas en las crecidas que no causan inundacion. El
de uso publico en interes general de la navegacion, la dominio privado de las riberas esta suieto a la
flotacion, la pesca y el salvamento. (Emphasis supplied) survidumbre de tres metros de zona para uso publico,
. en el interest general de la navegacion, la flotacion, la
pesca y el salvamento. ... (Emphasis
And plaintiff is not without jurisprudential backing for supplied).1wph1.t
in Commonwealth vs. Gungun,28 it was said that the
private ownership of the banks was not prohibited. His This was perhaps the reconciliation effected between the
point is then neatly brought home with the proposition private ownership of the banks, on the one hand, and the
that it is precisely when a river changes its course and policy of the law on the other hand, to devote all banks to
opens a new bed through a private estate that there can public use.33 The easement would preserve the private
be private ownership of the banks. ownership of the banks and still effectuate the policy of the
law. So, the easement in Art. 73 only recognized and
A study of the history of Art. 553 will however reveal that it preserved existing privately owned banks; it did not authorize
was never intended to authorize the private acquisition of future private appropriation of riverbanks.
riverbanks. That could not have been legally possible in view
of the legislative policy clearly enunciated in Art. 339 of the The foregoing observation is confirmed by the still subsequent
Code that all riverbanks were of public ownership. The article Law of Waters of June 13, 1879, which was principally based
on the Law of August 3, 1865.34 Art. 36 of the new law, which place in 1937, the new banks which were formed could not
was a substantial reenactment of Art. 73 of the Law of Waters have been subjected to the provisions of the Siete
of August 3, 1866, reads: Partidas which had already been superseded by then.
Las riberas, aun cuando sean de dominio privado en Coming to the factual issues: both parties assail the
virtud de antigue ley o de costumbre, estan sujetas en conclusion made by the lower court that only the northern
toda su extension las margenes en una zona de tres two-fifths of the disputed area remained as plaintiff's private
metros, a la servidumbre de uso publico en interes property. This conclusion was apparently based on the
general de la navegacion, la flotacion la pesca y el findings that the portion where rice and corn were found 38 in
salvamento. ... (Emphasis supplied) the ocular inspection of June 15, 1951, was on the northern
two-fifths of the disputed area; that this cannot be a part of
The new law also affirmed the public ownership of rivers and the bed because of the existence of vegetation which could not
their beds, and the treatment of the banks as part of the have grown underwater, and that this portion is man-made.
bed.35 But nowhere in the law was there any provision However, there is no evidentiary basis for these findings. The
authorizing the private appropriation of the banks. What it area indicated by Nos. 1 and 2 in Exh. D-1 where no
merely did was to recognize the fact that at that time there excavations had been made, appears to be more on the south-
were privately owned banks pursuant to the SietePartidas, western one-fourth of the disputed area. The American
and to encumber these with an easement for public use. cases39 cited by the lower court cannot apply here. Our Law of
Waters, in defining "beds" and considers the latter is part of
However, the public nature of riverbanks still obtained only by the former. Those cited cases did not involve a similar
implication. But with the promulgation of the Civil Code of statutory provision. That plants can and do grow on the
1889, this fact was finally made explicit in Art. 339 thereof. banks which otherwise could not have grown in the bed which
Riverbanks were declared as public property since they were is constantly subjected to the flow of the waters proves the
destined for public use. And the first paragraph of Art. 36 of distinction between "beds" and "banks" in the physical order.
the Law of Waters of 1879 was substantially reenacted in Art. However, We are dealing with the legal order where legal
553 of the Code.36 Hence, this article must also be understood definitions prevail. And apart from these considerations, We
not as authorizing the private acquisition of riverbanks but also note the considerable difficulty which would attend the
only as recognizing the vested titles of riparian owners who execution of the ruling of the lower court. The latter failed to
already owned the banks. indicate fixed markers from which an exact delimitation of the
boundaries of the portion could be made. This flaw is
The authority, then, for the private ownership of the banks is conducive to future litigations.
neither the old Civil Code nor the Law of Waters of 1866 but
the Siete Partidas. Unfortunately, plaintiff cannot invoke it. Plaintiff's theory is that the disputed area, although covered
Law 6, Title 28, Partida 3, which provides for private at times by flood waters, cannot be considered as within the
ownership of banks, ceased to be of force in this jurisdiction banks of the River because: (1) such floods are only
as of 1871 yet when the Law of Waters of August 3, 1866, accidental, and (2) even if they are regular, the flooding of the
took effect.37 Since the change in the course of the River took area is due to the excavations and extractions made by
defendants which have caused the widening of the 2 shows that in 1943, the south end of the River was about 5
channel.40 Defendants claim, however, that the area is always meters southeast of stake 24.48Honorato Sta. Maria, another
covered by the normal yearly floods and that the widening of witness for plaintiff, indicated the flow of this course with a
the channel is due to natural causes. blue line in Exh. D-1.49 This blue line is about 100 meters
from the line connecting stakes 25 and 26, which was also the
There is a gravel pit41 located along the west side of the River. east boundary of the old River.50 Around 1945 to 1949, the
This is about 500 meters long.42 A greater part of this pit River was about 193 meters51 east of this line. This
occupies a portion of the strip of land that was sliced by the measurement is based on the testimonies of two defense
River from the rest of the Hilario estate. As shown in Exhs. D witnesses52 and stated that during that period, the River
and D-1, this strip of land is that western segment of the passed along the Excavated Area and the New Accretion
Hilario estate bounded on the west by the same lines Area53 sites, as shown in Exh. 54. By the later part of 1949 up
connecting stakes 23 through 27, which form part of the to November 1950, the west waterline was from 248 to 270
western boundary of the estate, and on the east, bounded by meters54 east of the aforesaid boundary line. And finally in
the western waterline of the River. January, 1953, based on the scale in Exh. 3-Calalang, the
west waterline was from 300 to 305 meters away already.
Now, the disputed area, generally speaking,43 is only that part Hence, from 100 meters in 1937, the River had moved to 305
of the gravel pit which is within the strip of land. Its northern meters eastward in 1953.
tip is that point where the so-called "secondary bank" line
intersects the west River waterline up north; its southern There are two questions to be resolved here. First, where on
boundary is along the line connecting stakes 23 and 24. From the strip of land are the lateral borders of the western
these two ends, the disputed area measures approximately riverbank? And second, where have defendants made their
250 meters long. The eastern boundary is the western River extractions?
waterline at low tide and the western boundary is the
"secondary bank" line, a line passing near stake 24 and Anent the first question, the key is supplied by Art. 73 of the
running almost parallel to the line connecting stakes 25 and Law of Waters which defines the limits of banks of rivers
26. Around the later part of 1949, the disputed area was
about 150 to 160 meters wide.44This increased to about 175 By the phrase "banks of a river" is understood those
to 180 meters by the later part of 1950. And by January, lateral strips or zones of its bed which are washed by
1953, the distance from the "secondary bank" line to the west the stream only during such high floods as do not cause
waterline was about 230 meters.45 in inundations. ... (Emphasis supplied)
This increasing width of the disputed area could be attributed The farthest extremity of the bank on the west side
to the gradual movement of the River to the east. Since it would, therefore, be that lateral line or strip which is
entered into the Hilario estate, the River has not stayed reached by the waters during those high floods that do
put.46 Vicente Vicente, plaintiff's witness declared 47that after not cause inundations. In other words, the extent
the River changed its course in 1937, the distance between reached by the waters when the River is at high tide.
the old and the new river sites was about 100 meters. Exh. D-
However, there is a difference between the topography of the even inundate the surrounding areas. However, this flood
two sides immediately adjoining the River. The line indicated does not happen regularly. From 1947 to 1955, there were
as "primary bank"55 in Exh. 3-Calalang, which is on the east, only three such floods.59 Now, considering that the "ordinary"
is about 3 meters high and has a steep grade right at the edge flood easily cover the west side since any vertical rise of the
where it drops almost vertically to the watercourse level. The waterlevel on the east would necessarily be accompanied by a
precipice here, which is near the east waterline, is very easily lateral water expansion on the west the "inundations"
detectible. But the opposite side has no such steep activity. In which the law mentions must be those caused by the
fact, it is almost flat with the bed of the River, especially near "extraordinary" floods which reach and overflow beyond both
the water edge, where it is about 30 to 50 cms. high only. But "primary" and "secondary" banks. And since the "primary"
it gradually slopes up to a height of about 2 to 2- meters bank is higher than the "secondary" bank, it is only when the
along the line indicated as "secondary bank", which is quite former is reached and overflowed that there can be an
far from the waterline. This "bank" line is about 1- meters inundation of the banks the two banks. The question
higher than the level of the gravel pit and there are erosions therefore, may be stated thus: up to what extent on the west
here. This is about 175 meters west from the November 1950 side do the highest flood waters reach when the "primary"
waterline, and about 100 meters west from the camachile bank is not overflowed?
tree.56
Defendants have presented several witnesses who testified on
During the dry season, the waterlevel of the River is quite low the extent reached by the ordinary flood waters. David Ross, a
about knee-deep only. However, during the rainy season, bulldozer operator at the plant since 1945, testified 60 that
the River generally becomes swollen, and the waterlevel rises, from 1945 to 1949, when the River was still passing along the
reaching up to the neck.57 However, considering the peculiar site where the camachile tree is located, the annual flood
characteristics of the two sides banking the river, the rise in waters reached up to the "secondary bank" line. These floods
the waterlevel would not have the same effect on the two usually took from 3 to 5 days to recede, during which time
sides. Thus, on the east, the water would rise vertically, until their work was suspended. Corroboration is supplied by
the top of the "primary bank" is reached, but on the west, Macario Suiza, a crane operator in the plant since 1945, and
there would be a low-angled inclined rise, the water covering by Fidel Villafuerte, a plant employee since 1946. Suiza
more ground until the "secondary bank" line is reached. In stated61 that from 1947 to 1949, the area enclosed within the
other words, while the water expansion on the east is vertical, blue lines and marked as Exh. 54-B which includes the
that on the west is more or less lateral, or horizontal. New Accretion Area was always covered by water when it
rained hard and they had to stop work temporarily. The
The evidence also shows that there are two types of floods in western extremity of this area reaches up to the "secondary
the area during the rainy season. 58 One is the so-called bank" line. Villafuerte stated62 that in the ordinary floods
"ordinary" flood, when the river is swollen but the flowing when the water was just 50 cm. below the top of the "primary
water is kept within the confines, of the "primary" and bank", the waters would go beyond the camachile tree by as
"secondary" banks. This occurs annually, about three to four much as 100 meters westward and just about reach the
times during the period. Then there is the "extraordinary" "secondary bank" line. Further corroboration is supplied by
flood, when the waters overflow beyond the said banks, and plaintiff's own evidence. Exh. 1-Calalang states that from
1947 to 1949, based on the casual observations made by From all the foregoing, it can be safely concluded: (1) that
geologist David Cruz, the area between the "primary" and from 1945 to 1949, the west bank of the River extended
"secondary" banks were always covered by the non- westward up to the "secondary bank" line; (2) that from 1950
inundating ordinary floods. to 1952, this bank had moved, with the River, to the east its
lateral borders running along a line just 20 meters west of the
From 1950 to 1952, We have the testimony of Ross who camachile tree; and (3) that from 1953 to 1955, the
stated63 that there were still floods but they were not as big extremities of the west bank further receded eastward beyond
anymore, except one flood in 1952, since the River had the camachile tree, until they lay just about 20 meters east of
already moved to the east. Engr. Ricardo Pacheco, who made said tree.
a survey of the disputed area in November 1952, and who
conducted actual observations of the extent of the water reach To counteract the testimonies of the defense witnesses,
when the river was swollen, testified 64 that the non- plaintiff presented two rebuttal witnesses 70 who told a
inundating flood regularly reached up to the blue zigzag line somewhat different story. However, their testimonies are not
along the disputed area, as shown in Exh. I-City Engineer convincing enough to offset the dovetailing testimonies of the
Manila. This blue line, at the point where it intersects line defense witnesses who were much better qualified and
BB,65 is about 140 meters west of the waterline and about 20 acquainted with the actual situs of the floods. And said
meters west of the camachile tree. His testimony was based defense witnesses were corroborated by plaintiffs' own
on three floods66 which he and his men actually recorded. evidence which contradicts the aforesaid rebuttal witnesses.
Corroboration is again supplied by Exh. 1-Calalang.
According to Cruz' report, the floods in 1950 and 1951 barely However, plaintiff maintains that the floods which cover the
covered the disputed area. During the normal days of the area in question are merely accidental and hence, under Art.
rainy season, the waters of the swollen river did not reach the 77 of the Law of Waters, 71 and following the ruling
higher portions of the gravel pit which used to be submerged. in Government vs. Colegio de San Jose,72 he is deemed not to
One cause for this was the lesser amount of rainfall from have lost the inundated area. This is untenable. Plaintiff's
1949 to 1951. But two floods occurred from October 16 to 28, own evidence73 shows that the river floods with annual
1952, which overflowed the whole area and inundated the regularity during the rainy season. These floods can hardly be
banks. From 1953 to 1955, when the River was farther away called "accidental." The Colegio de San Jose case is not exactly
to the east, the flood waters still covered the west in point. What was mainly considered there was Art. 74 of the
side.67 Testifying on the extent reached by the water during Law of Waters relating to lakes, ponds and pools. In the case
the rainy season in 1954, Ross stated 68 that it reached up to at bar, none of these is involved.
the camachile tree only. The last and latest data comes from
Engr. Magbayani Leao, the Engineer-in-charge of the plant Also untenable is plaintiff's contention that the regular
from August 1954. He testified69 that as of December 1955, flooding of the disputed area was due to the continuous
when the disputed area was underwater, the water reach was extraction of materials by defendants which had lowered the
about 20 meters or less to the east from the camachile tree. level of said area and caused the consequent widening of the
channel and the river itself. The excavations and extractions
of materials, even from the American period, have been made
only on the strip of land west of the River. 74 Under the area the defendants have extracted gravel and sand since they
"following-the-nature-of-things" argument advanced by did not extract indiscriminately from within the entire area.
plaintiff, the River should have moved westward, where the None of the parties' briefs were very helpful but the evidence
level of the ground had been lowered. But the movement has on record discloses that defendants made their extractions
been in the opposite direction instead. Therefore, it cannot be only within specified areas during definite periods.
attributed to defendants' operation. Moreover, plaintiff's own
evidence indicates that the movement eastward was all due to From 1947 to the early part of 1949, the defendants
natural causes. Thus, Exh. 1-Calalang shows that the conducted their operations only in the New Accretion Area
movement eastward of the channel by as much as 31 meters, along a narrow longitudinal zone contiguous to the
from 1950 to 1953, was due to two typhoons which caused watercourse then. This zone, marked as Exh. 2-City Engineer
the erosion of the east bank and the depositing of materials Manila, is about one (1) km. long and extends northward up
on the west side which increased its level from as much as .93 to pt. 50.35 in Exh. 54. However, no extractions nor
to 2 meters. excavations were undertaken west of this zone, i.e., above the
"temporary bank" line.76 These facts are corroborated by
Plaintiff's assertion that the defendants also caused the plaintiff's witnesses. That the extractions were near the river
unnatural widening of the River is unfounded. Reliance is then finds support in Vicente's testimony 77 while Leon Angeles
made on the finding by the lower court that in 1943, the River and Mrs. Salud Hilario confirm the fact that defendants have
was only 60 meters wide as shown in Exh. D-2, whereas in not gone westward beyond the "temporary bank" line. 78 This
1950, it was already 140 meters wide as shown in Exh. D. line is located east of the "secondary bank" line, the lateral
However, Exh. D-2 only shows the width of the River near the extremity of the west bank then.
southwestern boundary of the Hilario estate. It does not
indicate how wide it was in the other parts, especially up In the later part of 1949, plaintiff prohibited the defendants
north. And Eligio Lorenzo, plaintiff's own witness, from extracting along the New Accretion Area and constructed
admitted75 on cross-examination that the width of the new a fence across the same. This forced the defendants to go
river was not uniform. This is confirmed by Exhs. D and D-1 below southeast of the "Excavated Area" and the New
which show that the new river was wider by as much as 50% Accretion Area sites in Exh. 54.79 Engr. Busuego,
up north than it was down south. The 140-meter distance in testifying80 in 1952, indicated their are of extraction as that
Exh. D was at the widest part up north whereas down south, enclosed within the red dotted line in Exh. D-1 which lies on
near the mouth of the Bulobok River, it was only 70 meters the south end of the strip of land. Only a small portion of the
wide. Lastly, the scale in Exh. 3-Calalang will show that in southeastern boundary of the disputed area is included. The
January 1953, the River, near the same point also, was less ocular inspection conducted on June 15, 1951, confirms
than 50 meters wide. this.81 Exh. 4-Calalang shows the total amount of materials
taken from within the area from 1949 to 1951. 82 Thus, from
The only remaining question now is to determine if the 1950 up to 1953, although the defendants were able to
defendants have really confined their operations within the continue their operations because of the agreement between
banks of the River as alleged by them. To resolve this, We the plaintiff and the Director of Public Works, 83 they were
have to find out from what precise portion in the disputed confined only to the southeastern portion of the disputed
area. On the other hand, the lateral extremities of the west ownership without just compensation. He even adds that
bank then ran along a line about 20 meters west of the defendants have already exhausted the supply in that area
camachile tree in the New Accretion Area. and have unjustly profited at his expense. These arguments,
however, do not detract from the above conclusions.
From 1954 to 1955, defendants' area of operation was still
farther near of the New Accretion Area. They were working First of all, We are not declaring that the entire channel, i.e.,
within a confined area along the west waterline, the northern all that space between the "secondary bank" line and the
and western boundaries of which were 20 meters away east "primary bank" line, has permanently become part of the
from the camachile tree.84 Ross indicated85 this zone in Exh. riverbed. What We are only holding is that at the time the
54 as that portion on the southern end of the disputed area defendants made their extractions, the excavations were
between the blue lines going through the words "Marikina within the confines of the riverbanks then. The "secondary
River Bed" and the red zigzag line indicating the watercourse bank" line was the western limit of the west bank around
then. Engr. Leao even stated, 86 that they got about 80% of 1945 to 1949 only. By 1955, this had greatly receded to the
the materials from the river itself and only 20% from the dry line just 20 meters east of the camachile tree in the New
bed. The sand and gravel covered by Exhs. LL to LL-55 were Accretion Area. All that space to the west of said receding
all taken from here. The foregoing facts are not only line90 would still be part of plaintiff's property and also
corroborated by Mrs. Hilario87 but even admitted by the whatever portion adjoining the river is, at present, no longer
plaintiff in his opposition88 to defendants' petition to extend reached by the non-inundating ordinary floods.
their area of operation west of the camachile tree. And
because their petition was denied, defendants could not, and Secondly, it is not correct to say that plaintiff would be
have not,89 gone beyond the lateral line about 20 meters east deprived of his property without any compensation at all.
from said tree, which has already been established as the Under Art. 370 of the old Civil Code, the abandoned bed of the
lateral extremity of the west bank during the period. old river belongs to the riparian owners either fully or in part
with the other riparian owners. And had the change occurred
It appears sufficiently established, therefore, that defendants under the Civil Code of the Philippines, plaintiff would even be
have not gone beyond the receding western extremities of the entitled to all of the old bed in proportion to the area he has
west riverbank. They have confined their extraction of gravel lost.91
and sand only from within the banks of the river which
constitute part of the public domain wherein they had the And, lastly, defendants cannot be accused of unjustly
right to operate. Plaintiff has not presented sufficient evidence profiting at plaintiff's expense. They were not responsible for
that defendants have gone beyond the limits of the west bank, the shifting of the River. It was due to natural causes for
as previously established, and have invaded his private estate. which no one can be blamed. And defendants were extracting
He cannot, therefore, recover from them. from public property then, under proper authorization. The
government, through the defendants, may have been enriched
As a parting argument, plaintiff contends that to declare the by chance, but not unjustly.
entire disputed area as part of the riverbanks would be
tantamount to converting about half of his estate to public
Considering the conclusions We have thus reached, the other
questions involved in the remaining assignments of errors
particularly those apropos the doctrine of state immunity
from suit and the liability of defendant City of Manila are
rendered moot.
Wherefore, the decision and orders appealed from are hereby
set aside and another judgment is hereby entered as follows:
(1) Defendants City of Manila and the Director of Public
Works and his agents and employees are hereby
absolved from liability to plaintiff since they did not
extract materials from plaintiff's property but from the
(2) All that portion within the strip of land in question,
starting from the line running parallel to the western
waterline of the river and twenty meters east from the
camachile tree in the New Accretion Area measured
along line AA in Exhs. 3-Calalang, 13 and 54, and going
to the west up to the western boundaries of the Hilario
estate, is hereby declared as not part of the public
domain and confirmed as part of plaintiff's private
property. No costs. So ordered.
Concepcion, C.J., Reyes, J.B.L., Dizon, Regala, Makalintal,
Zaldivar, Sanchez and Castro, JJ., concur.
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