G.R. No. 73002
December 29, 1986
Facts
ACME Plywood & Veneer Co. is a corporation who had acquired vast parcel of land from Mariano Infiel and Acer Infiel – members of the Dumagat Tribe. Such acquisition was made through sale which took effect in October 29, 1962. Thereafter, Acme commenced a registration proceedings on the subject land on June 17, 1981.
On the contrary, the Director of Lands opposed the registration. They alleged that since the registration proceedings was commenced after the effectivity of the 1973 Constitution which prohibits corporations from holding lands of alienable public domain except by lease, the land cannot be registered in favor of Acme.
The trial court and the Intermediate Appellate Court both decreed the registration of the lands in favor of Acme. Hence, this petition.
Issue
Whether or not Acme can validly register the land.
Held
Yes. Alienable public land held by a possessor, personally or through his predecessors-in interest, openly, continuously and exclusively for the prescribed statutory period (30 years under The Public Land Act, as amended) is converted to private property by the mere lapse or completion of said period, ipso jure.
In this case, the land was already private land to which the Infiels had a legally sufficient and transferable title on October 29, 1962 when Acme acquired it from them. Hence, it must also be conceded that Acme had a perfect right to make such acquisition, there being nothing in the 1935 Constitution then in force (or, for that matter, in the 1973 Constitution which came into effect later) prohibiting corporations from acquiring and owning private lands.
Hence, Acme acquired a registrable title, there being at the time no prohibition against said corporation’s holding or owning private land.