Manlapat V CA GR 125585

1/29/2021 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 459
412 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Heirs of Eduardo Manlapat vs. Court of Appeals
*
G.R. No. 125585. June 8, 2005.
HEIRS OF EDUARDO MANLAPAT, represented by

GLORIA MANLAPAT-BANAAG and LEON M. BANAAG,
JR., petitioners, vs. HON. COURT OF APPEALS, RURAL
BANK OF SAN PASCUAL, INC., and JOSE B. SALAZAR,
CONSUELO CRUZ and ROSALINA CRUZ-BAUTISTA,
and the REGISTER OF DEEDS of Meycauayan, Bulacan,
respondents.
Land Titles; Contracts; Registration is not a requirement for

validity of the contract as between the parties, for the effect of
registration serves chiefly to bind third persons; Where a party has
knowledge of a prior existing interest which is unregistered at the
time he acquired a right to the same land, his knowledge of that
prior unregistered interest has the effect of registration as to him.
—Registration is not a requirement for validity of the contract as
between the parties, for the effect of registration serves chiefly to
bind third persons. The principal purpose of registration is merely
to notify other persons not parties to a contract that a transaction
involving the property had been entered into. Where the party
has knowledge of a prior existing interest which is unregistered at
the time he acquired a right to the same land, his knowledge of
that prior unregistered interest has the effect of registration as to
him.
Same; Mortgages; For a person to validly constitute a valid
mortgage on real estate, he must be the absolute owner thereof as
required by Art. 2085 of the New Civil Code; The mortgagee only
owns the mortgage credit, not the property itself.—For a person to
validly constitute a valid mortgage on real estate, he must be the
absolute owner thereof as required by Article 2085 of the New
Civil Code. The mortgagor must be the owner, otherwise the
mortgage is void. In a contract of mortgage, the mortgagor
remains to be the owner of the property although the property is
subjected to a lien. A mortgage is regarded as nothing more than
a mere lien, encumbrance, or security for a debt, and passes no
title or estate to the mortgagee and gives him no right or claim to
the possession of the property. In this kind of contract, the
property mortgaged is merely delivered to the mortgagee to
secure the fulfillment of the principal obligation. Such delivery
does not empower the mortgagee to convey any portion thereof in
favor of another person as the right to dispose is an attribute of
ownership. The
_______________
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001774cf0d9a34d2eeefd003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 1/25
* SECOND DIVISION.
413
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 413
right to dispose includes the right to donate, to sell, to pledge or

mortgage. Thus, the mortgagee, not being the owner of the
property, cannot dispose of the whole or part thereof nor cause the
impairment of the security in any manner without violating the
foregoing rule. The mortgagee only owns the mortgage credit, not
the property itself.
Same; Same; The utilization of the Torrens system to
perpetrate fraud cannot be accorded judicial sanction—the
principle of indefeasibility of a Torrens title does not apply where
fraud attended the issuance of the title.—It is a glaring fact that
OCT No. P-153(M) covering the property mortgaged was in the
name of Eduardo, without any annotation of any prior disposition
or encumbrance. However, the property was sufficiently shown to
be not entirely owned by Eduardo as evidenced by the Kasulatan.
Readily apparent upon perusal of the records is that the OCT was
issued in 1976, long after the Kasulatan was executed way back
in 1954. Thus, a portion of the property registered in Eduardo’s
name arising from the grant of free patent did not actually belong
to him. The utilization of the Torrens system to perpetrate fraud
cannot be accorded judicial sanction. Time and again, this Court
has ruled that the principle of indefeasibility of a Torrens title
does not apply where fraud attended the issuance of the title, as
was conclusively established in this case. The Torrens title does
not furnish a shied for fraud. Registration does not vest title. It is
not a mode of acquiring ownership but is merely evidence of such
title over a particular property. It does not give the holder any
better right than what he actually has, especially if the
registration was done in bad faith. The effect is that it is as if no
registration was made at all. In fact, this Court has ruled that a
decree of registration cut off or extinguished a right acquired by a
person when such right refers to a lien or encumbrance on the
land—not to the right of ownership thereof—which was not
annotated on the certificate of title issued thereon.
Same; Same; Section 53 of P.D. No. 1529 has never been
clearer that as long as the owner’s duplicate certificate is presented
to the Register of Deeds together with the instrument of
conveyance, such presentation serves as conclusive authority to the
Register of Deeds to issue a transfer certificate or make a
memorandum of registration in accordance with the instrument.—
Petitioners argue that the issuance of the TCTs violated the third
paragraph of Section 53 of P.D. No. 1529. The argument is
baseless. It must be noted that the provision speaks of forged
duplicate certificate of title and forged deed or instrument. Neither
instance obtains in this case. What the Cruzes presented before
the Register of Deeds was the very genuine owner’s duplicate

certificate earlier deposited by Banaag, Edu-
414
ardo’s attorney-in-fact, with RBSP. Likewise, the instruments of

conveyance are authentic, not forged. Section 53 has never been
clearer on the point that as long as the owner’s duplicate
certificate is presented to the Register of Deeds together with the
instrument of conveyance, such presentation serves as conclusive
authority to the Register of Deeds to issue a transfer certificate or
make a memorandum of registration in accordance with the
instrument.
Same; Same; Banks and Banking; Banks, their business being
impressed with public interest, are expected to exercise more care
and prudence than private individuals in their dealings, even
those involving registered lands—the highest degree of diligence is
expected, and high standards of integrity and performance are
even required of them.—The Cruzes resorted to such means to
protect their interest in the property that rightfully belongs to
them only because of the bank officers’ acquiescence thereto. The
Cruzes could not have secured a separate TCT in the name of
Ricardo without the bank’s approval. Banks, their business being
impressed with public interest, are expected to exercise more care
and prudence than private individuals in their dealings, even
those involving registered lands. The highest degree of diligence is
expected, and high standards of integrity and performance are
even required of it.
Same; Same; Same; Judicial Notice; Judicial notice is taken
of the standard practice for banks, before approving a loan, to send
representatives to the premises of the land offered as collateral and
to investigate who the real owners thereof are.—A mortgagee can
rely on what appears on the certificate of title presented by the
mortgagor and an innocent mortgagee is not expected to conduct
an exhaustive investigation on the history of the mortgagor’s title.
This rule is strictly applied to banking institutions. A mortgagee-
bank must exercise due diligence before entering into said
contract. Judicial notice is taken of the standard practice for
banks, before approving a loan, to send representatives to the
premises of the land offered as collateral and to investigate who
the real owners thereof are. Banks, indeed, should exercise more
care and prudence in dealing even with registered lands, than
private individuals, as their business is one affected with public
interest. Banks keep in trust money belonging to their depositors,
which they should guard against loss by not committing any act of
negligence that amounts to lack of good faith. Absent good faith,
banks would be denied the protective mantle of the land
registration statute, Act 496, which extends only to purchasers for
value and good faith, as well as to mortgagees of the same
character and description. Thus, this
415
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 415
Court clarified that the rule that persons dealing with registered
lands can rely solely on the certificate of title does not apply to
banks.
Same; Same; Same; Simple rationalization would dictate that
a mortgagee-bank has no right to deliver to any stranger any
property entrusted to it other than to those contractually and
legally entitled to its possession.—Of deep concern to this Court,
however, is the fact that the bank lent the owner’s duplicate of the
OCT to the Cruzes when the latter presented the instruments of
conveyance as basis of their claim of ownership over a portion of
land covered by the title. Simple rationalization would dictate
that a mortgagee-bank has no right to deliver to any stranger any
property entrusted to it other than to those contractually and
legally entitled to its possession. Although we cannot dismiss the
bank’s acknowledgment of the Cruzes’ claim as legitimized by
instruments of conveyance in their possession, we nonetheless
cannot sanction how the bank was inveigled to do the bidding of
virtual strangers. Undoubtedly, the bank’s cooperative stance
facilitated the issuance of the TCTs. To make matters worse, the
bank did not even notify the heirs of Eduardo. The conduct of the
bank is as dangerous as it is unthinkably negligent. However, the
aspect does not impair the right of the Cruzes to be recognized as
legitimate owners of their portion of the property.
Same; Same; Same; The act of a bank of allowing complete
strangers to take possession of the owner’s duplicate certificate
even if the purpose is merely for photocopying constitutes manifest
negligence which would hold it liable for damages under Article
1170 and other relevant provisions of the Civil Code.—The bank
should not have allowed complete strangers to take possession of
the owner’s duplicate certificate even if the purpose is merely for
photocopying for a danger of losing the same is more than
imminent. They should be aware of the conclusive presumption in
Section 53. Such act constitutes manifest negligence on the part of
the bank which would necessarily hold it liable for damages under
Article 1170 and other relevant provisions of the Civil Code.
Public Land Act; Free Patents; Pari Delicto; A sale within five
years from the grant of the free patent is covered by the
proscription against alienation, but the seller may recover the
portion sold since the prohibition was imposed in favor of the free
patent holder.—Apparently glossed over by the courts below and
the parties is an aspect which is essential, spread as it is all over
the record and intertwined with the crux of the controversy,
relating as it does to the validity of the dispositions of the subject
property and the mortgage thereon. Eduardo was issued a title in
1976 on the basis
416
of his free patent application. Such application implies the

recognition of the public dominion character of the land and,
hence, the five (5)-year prohibition imposed by the Public Land
Act against alienation or encumbrance of the land covered by a
free patent or homestead should have been considered. The deed
of sale covering the fifty (50)-square meter right of way executed
by Eduardo on 18 March 1981 is obviously covered by the
proscription, the free patent having been issued on 8 October
1976. However, petitioners may recover the portion sold since the
prohibition was imposed in favor of the free patent holder.
Same; Same; Where the sale or transfer took place before the
filing of the free patent application, whether by the vendor or the
vendee, the prohibition should not be applied.—The sale of the 553
square meter portion is a different story. It was executed in 1954,
twenty-two (22) years before the issuance of the patent in 1976.
Apparently, Eduardo disposed of the portion even before he
thought of applying for a free patent. Where the sale or transfer
took place before the filing of the free patent application, whether
by the vendor or the vendee, the prohibition should not be
applied. In such situation, neither the prohibition nor the
rationale therefor which is to keep in the family of the patentee
that portion of the public land which the government has
gratuitously given him, by shielding him from the temptation to
dispose of his landholding, could be relevant. Precisely, he had
disposed of his rights to the lot even before the government could
give the title to him.
PETITION for review on certiorari of a decision of the

Court of Appeals.
The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.

Vicente D. Cariño for petitioners.
Ulpiano P. Sarmiento III and Arturo Sioson for
private respondents.
TINGA, J.:
Before this
1
Court is a Rule 45 petition assailing the
Decision dated 29 September 1994 of the Court of Appeals
that reversed the
_______________
1 Rollo, pp. 51-65. Decision penned by Associate Justice Bernardo Ll.

Salas and concurred in by Justices Jorge S. Imperial and Hector L.
Hofileña.
417
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 417

2
2
Decision dated 30 April 1991 of the Regional Trial Court
(RTC) of Bulacan, Branch 6, Malolos. The trial court
declared Transfer Certificates of Title (TCTs) No. T-9326-
P(M) and No. T-9327-P(M) as void ab initio and ordered the
restoration of Original Certificate of Title (OCT) No. P-
153(M) in the name of Eduardo Manlapat (Eduardo),
petitioners’ predecessor-in-interest.
The controversy involves Lot No. 2204, a parcel of land
with an area of 1,058 square meters, located at Panghulo,
Obando, Bulacan. The property had been originally in the
possession of Jose Alvarez, Eduardo’s grandfather, until his
demise in 1916. It remained unregistered until 8 October
1976 when OCT No. P-153(M) was issued in the name of
Eduardo
3
pursuant to a free patent issued in Eduardo’s
name that was entered 4
in the Registry of Deeds of
Meycauayan, Bulacan. The subject lot is adjacent to a
fishpond owned by one Ricardo Cruz (Ricardo),
predecessor-in-interest of respondents
5
Consuelo Cruz and
Rosalina Cruz-Bautista (Cruzes).
On 19 December 1954, before the subject lot was titled,
Eduardo sold a portion thereof with an area of 553 square
meters to Ricardo. The sale is evidenced by a deed of sale
entitled “Kasulatan ng Bilihang
6
Tuluyan ng Lupang
Walang Titulo (Kasulatan)” which was signed by Eduardo
himself as vendor and his wife Engracia Aniceto with a
certain Santiago Enriquez signing as witness.7
The deed
was notarized by Notary Public Manolo Cruz. On 4
_______________
2Id., at pp. 42-48. Decision penned by Judge Pablo S. Villanueva.

3 The Sinumpaang Salaysay signed by Eduardo on 24 April 1963 shows
that he is the only heir of his grandfather Jose Alvarez who died in 1916.
Eduardo’s mother, daughter of Alvarez, predeceased her father. The sworn
statement also shows that the subject lot was in the possession of his
grandfather at the time of his death. See also “Exhibit 2-E,” p. 4.
4 The Bureau of Lands issued Free Patent No. 111-6 in the name of
Eduardo which became the basis for the issuance of OCT No. P-153(M) by
the Register of Deeds dated October 8, 1976.
5 Rollo, p. 28.
6 Exhibits, p. 3.
7 Records, p. 30. See also Rollo, p. 213. The deed was entered in the
notarial book of the notary public as Document No. 29, Page 6, Book No. I,
Series of 1954.
418

April 1963, the Kasulatan

8
was registered with the Register
of Deeds of Bulacan. 9
On 18 March 1981, another Deed of Sale conveying
another portion of the subject lot consisting of 50 square
meters as right of way was executed by Eduardo in favor of
Ricardo in order to reach the portion covered by the first
sale executed in 1954 and10

to have access to his fishpond
from the provincial road. The deed was signed by Eduardo
himself and his wife Engracia Aniceto, together with
Eduardo Manlapat, Jr. and Patricio Manlapat. The same
was also duly notarized
11
on 18 July 1981 by Notary Public
Arsenio Guevarra.
In December 1981, Leon Banaag, Jr. (Banaag), as
attorney-in-fact of his father-in-law Eduardo, executed a
mortgage with the Rural Bank of San Pascual, Obando
Branch (RBSP), for P100,000.00 with the subject lot as
collateral. Banaag deposited the owner’s duplicate
certificate of OCT No. P-153(M) with the bank.
On 31 August 1986, Ricardo died without learning of the
prior issuance
12
of OCT No. P-153(M) in the name of
Eduardo. His heirs, the Cruzes, were not immediately
aware of the consummated sale between Eduardo and
Ricardo.
Eduardo himself died on 4 April 1987. He was survived
by his heirs, Engracia Aniceto, his spouse; and children,
Patricio, Bonifacio, Eduardo, Corazon,
13
Anselmo, Teresita
and Gloria, all surnamed Manlapat. Neither did the heirs
of Eduardo (petitioners) inform the Cruzes of the prior sale
in favor of their predecessor-in-interest, Ricardo. Yet
subsequently, the Cruzes came to learn
_______________
8 Rollo, p. 213. The deed was recorded as Inscription No. 16707, Page
No. 257, Volume 89, File No. 21819.
9 Records, p. 10. Annex “A.”
10 Rollo, p. 97.
11 Records, p. 11. See also Rollo, p. 97. The deed was entered in the
notarial book of the notary public as Document No. 261, Page 54, Book
XIII, Series of 1981.
12 Rollo, p. 98.
13 Records, p. 4.
419
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 419

about the sale and the issuance of the OCT in the name of
Eduardo.
Upon learning of their right to the subject lot, the
Cruzes immediately tried to confront petitioners on the
mortgage and obtain the surrender of the OCT. The
Cruzes, however, were thwarted in their bid to see the
heirs. On the advice of the Bureau of Lands, NCR Office,
they brought the matter to the barangay captain of
Barangay Panghulo, Obando, Bulacan. During the hearing,
petitioners were informed that the Cruzes had a legal right
to the property covered by OCT and needed the OCT for the
purpose of securing a separate title to cover the interest of
Ricardo. Petitioners,
14
however, were unwilling to surrender
the OCT.
Having failed to physically obtain the title from

petitioners, in July 1989, the Cruzes instead went to RBSP
which had custody of the owner’s duplicate certificate of the
OCT, earlier surrendered as a consequence of the
mortgage. Transacting with RBSP’s manager, Jose Salazar
(Salazar), the Cruzes sought to borrow the owner’s
duplicate certificate for the purpose of photocopying the
same and thereafter showing a copy thereof to the Register
of Deeds. Salazar allowed the Cruzes to bring the owner’s
duplicate certificate outside the
15
bank premises when the
latter showed the Kasulatan. The Cruzes returned the
owner’s duplicate certificate on the same day after having
copied the same. They then brought the copy of the OCT to
Register of Deeds Jose Flores (Flores) of Meycauayan and
showed the same to him to secure his legal opinion as to
how the Cruzes could legally protect 16
their interest in the
property and register the same. Flores suggested the
preparation of a subdivi-
_______________
14 Rollo, p. 99. See also Exhibit, p. 21. The Sinumpaang Salaysay of

Barangay Captain Bonifacio Enriquez of Panghulo, Obando, Bulacan
attested to the fact that on July 1989 the Cruzes lodged a complaint with
his office regarding a lot with an area of 1,058 square meters, 553 square
meters of which was sold to Ricardo on 19 December 1954. This sale was
confirmed by Eduardo through a Sinumpaang Salaysay dated 24 April
1963.
15 Id., at pp. 52 and 100.
16 Id., at p. 100.
420

sion plan to be able to segregate the area purchased by

Ricardo from 17Eduardo and have the same covered by a
separate title.
Thereafter, the Cruzes solicited the opinion of Ricardo
Arandilla (Arandilla), Land Registration Officer, Director
III, Legal Affairs Department, Land Registration Authority
at Quezon
18
City, who agreed with the advice given by
Flores. Relying on the suggestions of Flores and Arandilla,
the Cruzes hired two geodetic engineers to prepare the
corresponding subdivision plan. The subdivision plan was
presented to the Land Management Bureau, Region III,
and there it was approved by a certain Mr. Pambid of said
office on 21 July 1989.
After securing the approval of the subdivision plan, the
Cruzes went back to RBSP and again asked for the owner’s
duplicate certificate from Salazar. The Cruzes informed
him that the presentation of the owner’s duplicate
certificate was necessary, per advise of the Register of
Deeds, for the cancellation of the OCT and the issuance in
lieu thereof of two separate titles in the names of Ricardo

and Eduardo
19
in accordance with the approved subdivision
plan. Before giving the owner’s duplicate certificate,
Salazar required the Cruzes to see Atty. Renato Santiago
(Atty. Santiago), legal counsel of RBSP, to secure from the
latter a clearance to borrow the title. Atty. Santiago would
give the clearance on the condition that only
20
Cruzes put up
a substitute collateral, which they did. As a result, the
Cruzes got hold again of the owner’s duplicate certificate.
After the Cruzes presented the owner’s duplicate
certificate, along with the deeds of sale and the subdivision
plan, the Register of Deeds cancelled the OCT and issued
in lieu thereof TCT No. T-9326-P(M) covering 603 square
meters of Lot No. 2204 in the name
_______________
17 Ibid.
18 Id., at p. 101.
19 Ibid.
20 Id., at p. 102.
421
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 421

of Ricardo and TCT No. T-9327-P(M) covering21 the

remaining 455 square meters in the name of Eduardo.
On 9 August 1989, the Cruzes went back to the bank
and surrendered to Salazar TCT No. 9327-P(M) in the
name of Eduardo and retrieved the title they had earlier
given as substitute collateral. After securing the new
separate titles, the Cruzes furnished petitioners with a
copy of TCT No. 9327-P(M) through the22 baran-gay captain
and paid the real property tax for 1989.
The Cruzes also sent a formal letter to Guillermo Reyes,
Jr., Director, Supervision Sector, Department III of the
Central Bank of the Philippines, inquiring whether they
committed any violation of existing bank laws under the
circumstances. A certain Zosimo Topacio, Jr. of the
Supervision Sector sent a reply letter advising the Cruzes,
since the matter is between them and the bank, to get 23
in
touch with the bank for the final settlement of the case.
In October of 1989, Banaag went to RBSP, intending to
tender full payment of the mortgage obligation. It was only
then that he learned of the dealings of the Cruzes with the
bank which eventually led to the subdivision of the subject
lot and the issuance of two separate titles thereon. In
exchange for the full payment of the loan, RBSP tried to
persuade petitioners
24
to accept TCT No. T-9327-P(M) in the
name of Eduardo.
As a result, three (3) cases were lodged, later
consolidated, with the trial court, all involving the issuance
of the TCTs, to wit:
(1) Civil Case No. 650-M-89, for reconveyance with

damages filed by the heirs of Eduardo Manlapat
against Consuelo Cruz, Rosalina Cruz-Bautista,
Rural Bank of San Pascual, Jose Salazar and Jose
Flores, in his capacity as Deputy Registrar,
Meycauayan Branch of the Registry of Deeds of
Bulacan;
(2) Civil Case No. 141-M-90 for damages filed by Jose
Salazar against Consuelo Cruz, et. [sic] al.; and
_______________
21 Id., at pp. 28-29.

22 Id., at pp. 103-104.
23 Exhibit, p. 18.
24 Rollo, p. 29.
422

(3) Civil Case No. 644-M-89, for declaration of nullity

of title with damages filed by Rural Bank of San
Pascual, Inc. against25the spouses Ricardo Cruz and
Consuelo Cruz, et al.
After trial of the consolidated cases, the RTC of Malolos

rendered a decision in favor of the heirs of Eduardo, the
dispositive portion of which reads:
“WHEREFORE, premised from the foregoing, judgment is hereby

rendered:
1. Declaring Transfer Certificates of Title Nos. T-9326-P(M)

and T-9327-P(M) as void ab initio and ordering the
Register of Deeds, Meycauayan Branch to cancel said
titles and to restore Original Certificate of Title No. P-
153(M) in the name of plaintiffs’ predecessor-in-interest
Eduardo Manlapat;
2. Ordering the defendants Rural Bank of San Pascual, Jose
Salazar, Consuelo Cruz and Rosalina Cruz-Bautista, to
pay the plaintiffs Heirs of Eduardo Manlapat, jointly and
severally, the following:
a) P200,000.00 as moral damages;

b) P50,000.00 as exemplary damages;
c) P20,000.00 as attorney’s fees; and
d) the costs of the suit.
3. Dismissing the counterclaims.

26
SO ORDERED.”
The trial court found that petitioners were entitled to the

reliefs of reconveyance and damages. On this matter, it
ruled that petitioners were bona fide mortgagors of an

unclouded title bearing no annotation of any lien and/or
encumbrance. This fact, according to the trial court, was
confirmed by the bank when it accepted the mortgage
unconditionally on 25 November 1981. It found that
petitioners were complacent and unperturbed, believing
that the title to their property, while serving as security for
a loan, was
_______________
25 Supra notes 1 and 2.

26 Rollo, p. 48.
423
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 423

safely vaulted in the impermeable confines of RBSP. To

their surprise and prejudice, said title was subdivided into
two portions, leaving them a portion of 455 square meters
from the original total area of 1,058 square meters, all
because of the fraudulent and negligent acts of respondents
and RBSP. The trial court ratiocinated that even assuming
that a portion of the subject lot was sold by Eduardo to
Ricardo, petitioners were still not privy to the transaction
between the bank and the Cruzes which eventually led to
the subdivision of the OCT into TCTs No. T-9326-P(M) and
No. T-9327-P(M),
27
clearly to the damage and prejudice of
petitioners.
Concerning the claims for damages, the trial court found
the same to be bereft of merit. It ruled that although the
act of the Cruzes could be deemed fraudulent, still it would
not constitute intrinsic fraud. Salazar, nonetheless, was
clearly guilty of negligence in letting the Cruzes borrow the
owner’s duplicate certificate of the OCT. Neither the bank
nor its manager had business entrusting to strangers titles
mortgaged to it by other persons for whatever reason. It
was a clear violation of the mortgage and banking laws, the
trial court concluded.
The trial court also ruled that although Salazar was
personally responsible for allowing the title to be borrowed,
the bank could not escape liability for it was guilty of
contributory negligence. The evidence showed that RBSP’s
legal counsel was sought for advice regarding respondents’
request. This could only mean that RBSP through its
lawyer if not through its manager had known in advance of
the Cruzes’ intention and still it did nothing to prevent the
eventuality. Salazar was not even summarily dismissed by
the bank if he was indeed the sole person to blame.28 Hence,
the bank’s claim for damages must necessarily fail.
The trial court granted the prayer for the annulment of
the TCTs as a necessary consequence of its declaration that
reconveyance was in order. As to Flores, his work being
ministerial as Deputy Register of the Bulacan Registry of

Deeds, the trial court ab-
_______________
27 Id., at p. 46.
28 Id., at pp. 47-48.
424

solved him of any liability with a stern warning that he

should deal with his future transactions more carefully and 29
in the strictest sense as a responsible government official.
Aggrieved by the decision of the trial court, RBSP,
Salazar and the Cruzes appealed to the Court of Appeals.
The appellate court, however, reversed the decision of the
RTC. The decretal text of the decision reads:
“THE FOREGOING CONSIDERED, the appealed decision is

hereby reversed and
30
set aside, with costs against the appellees.
SO ORDERED.”
The appellate court ruled that petitioners were not bona

fide mortgagors since as early as 1954 or before the 1981
mortgage, Eduardo already sold to Ricardo a portion of the
subject lot with an area of 553 square meters. This fact, the
Court of Appeals noted, is even supported by a document of
sale signed by Eduardo Jr. and Engracia Aniceto, the
surviving spouse of Eduardo, and registered with the
Register of Deeds of Bulacan. The appellate court also
found that on 18 March 1981, for the second time, Eduardo
sold to Ricardo a separate area 31
containing 50 square
meters, as a road right-of-way. Clearly, the OCT was
issued only after the first sale. It also noted that the title
was given to the Cruzes by RBSP voluntarily, 32
with
knowledge even of the bank’s counsel. Hence, the
imposition of damages cannot be justified, the Cruzes
themselves being the owners of the property. Certainly,
Eduardo misled the bank into accepting the entire area as
a collateral since the 603-square meter portion did not
anymore belong to him. The appellate court, however,
concluded that
33
there was no conspiracy between the bank
and Salazar.
Hence, this petition for review on certiorari.
_______________
29 Id., at p. 48.
30 Id., at p. 65.
31 Id., at p. 56.
32 Id., at p. 57.
33 Id., at p. 65.
425
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 425

Petitioners ascribe errors to the appellate court by asking

the following questions, to wit: (a) can a mortgagor be
compelled to receive from the mortgagee a smaller portion
of the originally encumbered title partitioned during the
subsistence of the mortgage, without the knowledge of, or
authority derived from, the registered owner; (b) can the
mortgagee question the veracity of the registered title of
the mortgagor, as noted in the owner’s duplicate certificate,
and thus, deliver the certificate to such third persons,
invoking an adverse, prior, and unregistered claim against
the registered title of the mortgagor; (c) can an adverse
prior claim against a registered title be noted, registered
and entered without a competent court order; and (d) can
belief of ownership34 justify the taking of property without
due process of law?
The kernel of the controversy boils down to the issue of
whether the cancellation of the OCT in the name of the
petitioners’ predecessor-in-interest and its splitting into
two separate titles, one for the petitioners and the other for
the Cruzes, may be accorded legal recognition given the
peculiar factual backdrop of the case. We rule in the
affirmative.
Private respondents (Cruzes) own

the portion titled in their names
Consonant with law and justice, the ultimate denouement

of the property dispute lies in the determination of the
respective bases of the warring claims. Here, as in other
legal disputes, what is written generally deserves credence.
A careful perusal of the evidence on record reveals that
the Cruzes have sufficiently proven their claim of
ownership over the portion of Lot No. 2204 with an area of
553 square meters. The duly notarized instrument of
conveyance was executed in 1954 to which no less than
Eduardo was a signatory. The execution of the deed of sale
was rendered beyond doubt by Eduardo’s admission 35
in his
Sinumpaang Salaysay dated 24 April 1963. These
documents
_______________
34 Id., at pp. 31-32.

35 Exhibit No. 4.
426

make the affirmance of the right of the Cruzes ineluctable.

The apparent irregularity, however, in the obtention of the
owner’s duplicate certificate from the bank, later to be
presented to the Register of Deeds to secure the issuance of
two new TCTs in place of the OCT, is another matter.
Petitioners argue that the 1954 deed of sale was not
annotated on the OCT which was issued in 1976 in favor of
Eduardo; thus, the Cruzes’ claim of ownership based on the
sale would not hold water. The Court is not persuaded.
Registration is not a requirement for validity of the
contract as between the parties, for the effect 36
of
registration serves chiefly to bind third persons. The
principal purpose of registration is merely to notify other
persons not parties to a contract that a transaction
involving the property had been entered into. Where the
party has knowledge of a prior existing interest which is
unregistered at the time he acquired a right to the same
land, his knowledge of that prior unregistered
37
interest has
the effect of registration as to him.
Further, the heirs of Eduardo cannot be considered third
persons for purposes of applying the rule. The conveyance
shall not be valid against any person unless registered,
except (1) the grantor, (2) his heirs and devisees, and (3)38
third persons having actual notice or knowledge thereof.
Not only are petitioners the heirs of Eduardo, some of them
were actually parties to the Kasulatan executed in favor of
Ricardo. Thus, the annotation of the adverse claim of the
Cruzes on the OCT is no longer required to bind the heirs
of Eduardo, petitioners herein.
Petitioners had no right to constitute

mortgage over disputed portion
The requirements of a valid mortgage are clearly laid down

in Article 2085 of the New Civil Code, viz:
_______________
36 Samanilla v. Cajucom, et al., 107 Phil. 432 (1960).

37 Lagandaon v. Court of Appeals, G.R. Nos. 102526-31, 21 May 1998,
290 SCRA 330.
38 Peña, Registration of Land Titles and Deeds, 1994 ed., p. 28.
427
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 427

ART. 2085. The following requisites are essential to the contracts

of pledge and mortgage:
(1) That they be constituted to secure the fulfillment of a

principal obligation;
(2) That the pledgor or mortgagor be the absolute owner of
the thing pledged or mortgaged;
(3) That the persons constituting the pledge or mortgage have

the free disposal of their property, and in the absence
thereof, that they be legally authorized for the
purpose.
Third persons who are not parties to the principal obligation

may secure the latter by pledging or mortgaging their own
property. (emphasis supplied)
For a person to validly constitute a valid mortgage on real

estate, he must be the absolute owner thereof
39
as required
by Article 2085 of the New Civil Code. The mortgagor 40
must be the owner, otherwise the mortgage is void. In a
contract of mortgage, the mortgagor remains to be the
owner 41of the property although the property is subjected to
a lien. A mortgage is regarded as nothing more than a
mere lien, encumbrance, or security for a debt, and passes
no title or estate to the mortgagee and gives
42
him no right or
claim to the possession of the property. In this kind of
contract,
_______________
39 Lagrosa v. Court of Appeals, 371 Phil. 225; 312 SCRA 298 (1999).
40 National Bank v. Palma Gil, 55 Phil. 639 (1930-1931); Contreras v.
China Banking Corporation, 76 Phil. 709 (1946).
An agent cannot therefore mortgage in his own name the property of
the principal, otherwise the contract is void. But the agent can do so, in
the name of the principal, for here the mortgagor is the principal. Hence,
if the agent is properly authorized, the contract is valid. See Arenas v.
Raymundo, 19 Phil. 46 (1911).
41 Ching Sen Ben v. Court of Appeals, 373 Phil. 544; 314 SCRA 762
(1999).
42 Lagrosa v. Court of Appeals, supra note 39, citing Adlawan v. Torres,
233 SCRA 645.
That is why Article 2130 of the New Civil Code provides that a
stipulation forbidding the owner from alienating the immovable
mortgaged shall be void.
428

the property mortgaged is merely delivered to the

mortgagee43 to secure the fulfillment of the principal
obligation. Such delivery does not empower the mortgagee
to convey any portion thereof in favor of another44 person as
the right to dispose is an attribute of ownership. The right
to dispose includes the right to donate, to sell, to pledge or
mortgage. Thus, the mortgagee, not being the owner of the
property, cannot dispose of the whole or part thereof nor
cause the impairment of the security 45
in any manner
without violating the foregoing rule. The mortgagee46
only
owns the mortgage credit, not the property itself.
Petitioners submit as an issue whether a mortgagor may

be compelled to receive from the mortgagee a smaller
portion of the lot covered by the originally encumbered
title, which lot was partitioned during the subsistence of
the mortgage without the knowledge or authority of the
mortgagor as registered owner. This for-
_______________
43 “Ownership is retained by the mortgagor since the latter merely

subjects it to a lien. In case of nonpayment of debt secured by a mortgage,
the mortgagee has the right to foreclose the mortgaged property and have
it sold to satisfy the outstanding indebtedness to enforce his right and
consolidation of ownership is not an appropriate remedy. Only upon the
lapse of the redemption period and the judgment debtor failed to exercise
his right of redemption, ownership will vest or be consolidated in the
purchaser.” (Dr. Igmidio Cuevas Lat, LAW ON MORTGAGE, 2001 ed., p.
1).
44 Article 428 of the Civil Code of the Philippines provides:
ART. 428. The owner has the right to enjoy and dispose of a thing, without other
limitations than those established by law. The owner has also a right of action
against the holder and possessor of the thing in order to recover it.
ART. 2088. The creditor cannot appropriate the things given by way of pledge or
mortgage, or dispose of them. Any stipulation to the contrary is null and void.
ART. 2128. The mortgage credit may be alienated or assigned to a third person, in
whole or in part, with the formalities required by law.
429
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 429

mulation is disingenuous, baselessly assuming, as it does,

as an admitted fact that the mortgagor is the owner of the
mortgaged property in its entirety. Indeed, it has not
become a salient issue in this case since the mortgagor was
not the owner of the entire mortgaged property in the first
place.
Issuance of OCT No. P-153(M), improper
It is a glaring fact that OCT No. P-153(M) covering the

property mortgaged was in the name of Eduardo, without
any annotation of any prior disposition or encumbrance.
However, the property was sufficiently shown to be not
entirely owned by Eduardo as evidenced by the Kasulatan.
Readily apparent upon perusal of the records is that the
OCT was issued in 1976, long after the Kasulatan was
executed way back in 1954. Thus, a portion of the property
registered in Eduardo’s name arising from the grant of free
patent did not actually belong to him. The utilization of the
Torrens system to perpetrate fraud cannot be accorded

judicial sanction.
Time and again, this Court has ruled that the principle
of indefeasibility of a Torrens title does not apply where
fraud attended the issuance of the title, as was conclusively
established in this 47
case. The Torrens title does not furnish
a shied for fraud. Registration does not vest title. It is not
a mode of acquiring ownership but is merely evidence of
such title over a particular property. It does not give the
holder any better right than what he actually has,
especially if the registration was done in bad faith. 48The
effect is that it is as if no registration was made at all. In
fact, this Court has ruled that a decree of registration cut
off or extinguished a right acquired by a person when such
right refers to a lien or
_______________
47 Sacdalan v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 128967, 20 May 2004, 428

SCRA 586; Republic v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 60169, 23 March 1990,
183 SCRA 620; Adille v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 44546, 29 January
1988, 157 SCRA 455; Amerol v. Bagumbaran, G.R. No. 33261, 30
September 1987, 154 SCRA 396.
48 Avila v. Tapucar, G.R. No. 45947, 27 August 1991, 201 SCRA 148;
Miranda v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 46064, 7 September 1989, 177
SCRA 303, citing De Guzman v. Court of Appeals, 156 SCRA 701.
430

encumbrance on the land—not to the right of ownership

thereof—which49was not annotated on the certificate of title
issued thereon.
Issuance of TCT Nos. T-9326-P(M)

and T-9327-P(M), Valid
The validity of the issuance of two TCTs, one for the

portion sold to the predecessor-in-interest of the Cruzes
and the other for the portion retained by petitioners, is
readily apparent from Section 53 of the Presidential Decree
(P.D.) No. 1529 or the Property Registration Decree. It
provides:
SEC. 53. Presentation of owner’s duplicate upon entry of new

certificate.—No voluntary instrument shall be registered by the
Register of Deeds, unless the owner’s duplicate certificate is
presented with such instrument, except in cases expressly
provided for in this Decree or upon order of the court, for cause
shown.
The production of the owner’s duplicate certificate,
whenever any voluntary instrument is presented for
registration, shall be conclusive authority from the
registered owner to the Register of Deeds to enter a new
certificate or to make a memorandum of registration in

accordance with such instrument, and the new certificate or
memorandum shall be binding upon the registered owner and
upon all persons claiming under him, in favor of every purchaser
for value and in good faith.
In all cases of registration procured by fraud, the owner may
pursue all his legal and equitable remedies against the parties to
such fraud without prejudice, however, to the rights of any
innocent holder of the decree of registration on the original
petition or application, any subsequent registration procured by
the presentation of a forged duplicate certificate of title, or a
forged deed or instrument, shall be null and void. (emphasis
supplied)
Petitioners argue that the issuance of the TCTs violated

the third paragraph of Section 53 of P.D. No. 1529. The
argument is baseless. It must be noted that the provision
speaks of forged du-
_______________
49 Development Bank of the Philippines v. Court of Appeals, 387 Phil.

283; 331 SCRA 267 (2000).
431
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 431

plicate certificate of title and forged deed or instrument.

Neither instance obtains in this case. What the Cruzes
presented before the Register of Deeds was the very
genuine owner’s duplicate certificate earlier deposited by
Banaag, Eduardo’s attorney-in-fact, with RBSP. Likewise,
the instruments of conveyance are authentic, not forged.
Section 53 has never been clearer on the point that as long
as the owner’s duplicate certificate is presented to the
Register of Deeds together with the instrument of
conveyance, such presentation serves as conclusive
authority to the Register of Deeds to issue a transfer
certificate or make a memorandum of registration in
accordance with the instrument.
The records of the case show that despite the efforts
made by the Cruzes in persuading the heirs of Eduardo to
allow them to secure a separate TCT on the claimed
portion, their ownership being amply evidenced by the
Kasulatan and Sinumpaang Salaysay where Eduardo
himself acknowledged the sales in favor of Ricardo, the
heirs adamantly rejected the notion of separate titling.
This prompted the Cruzes to approach the bank manager of
RBSP for the purpose of protecting their property right.
They succeeded in persuading the latter to lend the owner’s
duplicate certificate. Despite the apparent irregularity in
allowing the Cruzes to get hold of the owner’s duplicate
certificate, the bank officers consented to the Cruzes’ plan
to register the deeds of sale and secure two new separate

titles, without notifying the heirs of Eduardo about it.
Further, the law on the matter, specifically P.D. No.
1529, has no explicit requirement as to the manner of
acquiring the owner’s duplicate for purposes of issuing a
TCT. This led the Register of Deeds of Meycauayan as well
as the Central Bank officer, in rendering an opinion on the
legal feasibility of the process resorted to by the Cruzes.
Section 53 of P.D. No. 1529 simply requires the production
of the owner’s duplicate certificate, whenever any
voluntary instrument is presented for registration, and the
same shall be conclusive authority from the registered
owner to the Register of Deeds to enter a new certificate or
to make a memorandum of registration in accordance with
such instrument, and the new certificate or memorandum
shall be binding upon the registered owner
432

and upon all persons claiming under him, in favor of every

purchaser for value and in good faith.
Quite interesting, however, is the contention of the heirs
of Eduardo that the surreptitious lending of the owner’s
duplicate certificate constitutes fraud within the ambit of
the third paragraph of Section 53 which could nullify the
eventual issuance of the TCTs. Yet we cannot subscribe to
their position.
Impelled by the inaction of the heirs of Eduardo as to
their claim, the Cruzes went to the bank where the
property was mortgaged. Through its manager and legal
officer, they were assured of recovery of the claimed parcel
of land since they are the successors-in-interest of the real
owner thereof. Relying on the bank officers’ opinion as to
the legality of the means sought to be employed by them
and the suggestion of the Central Bank officer that the
matter could be best settled between them and the bank,
the Cruzes pursued the titling of the claimed portion in the
name of Ricardo. The Register of Deeds eventually issued
the disputed TCTs.
The Cruzes resorted to such means to protect their
interest in the property that rightfully belongs to them only
because of the bank officers’ acquiescence thereto. The
Cruzes could not have secured a separate TCT in the name
of Ricardo without the bank’s approval. Banks, their
business being impressed with public interest, are expected
to exercise more care and prudence than private
individuals in their
50
dealings, even those involving
registered lands. The highest degree of diligence is
expected, and high standards
51
of integrity and performance
are even required of it.
Indeed, petitioners contend that the mortgagee cannot
question the veracity of the registered title of the
mortgagor as noted in the
_______________
50 Development Bank of the Philippines v. Court of Appeals, 387 Phil.

283; 331 SCRA 267 (2000), citing Cavite Development Bank v. Lim, G.R.
No. 13169, 1 February 2000, 324 SCRA 346, citing Tomas v. Tomas, 98
SCRA 280 (1980).
51 Bank of the Philippine Islands v. Casa Montessori Internationale, et
al., G.R. No. 149454 and Casa Montessori Internationale v. Bank of the
Philippine Islands, G.R. No. 149507, 28 May 2004, 430 SCRA 261.
433
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 433

owner’s duplicate certificate, and, thus, he cannot deliver

the certificate to such third persons invoking an adverse,
prior, and unregistered claim against the registered title of
the mortgagor. The strength of this argument is diluted by
the peculiar factual milieu of the case.
A mortgagee can rely on what appears on the certificate
of title presented by the mortgagor and an innocent
mortgagee is not expected to conduct an exhaustive
investigation on the history of the mortgagor’s title. This
rule is strictly applied to banking institutions. A
mortgagee-bank must exercise due diligence before
entering into said contract. Judicial notice is taken of the
standard practice for banks, before approving a loan, to
send representatives to the premises of the land offered as
collateral
52
and to investigate who the real owners thereof
are.
Banks, indeed, should exercise more care and prudence
in dealing even with registered lands, than private
individuals, as their business is one affected with public
interest. Banks keep in trust money belonging to their
depositors, which they should guard against loss by not
committing any act of negligence that amounts to lack of
good faith. Absent good faith, banks would be denied the
protective mantle of the land registration statute, Act 496,
which extends only to purchasers for value and good faith,
as well as53 to mortgagees of the same character and
description. Thus, this Court clarified that the rule that
persons dealing with registered lands can54rely solely on the
certificate of title does not apply to banks.
Bank Liable for Nominal Damages
Of deep concern to this Court, however, is the fact that the

bank lent the owner’s duplicate of the OCT to the Cruzes
when the latter
_______________
52 Tomas v. Tomas, No. L-36897, 25 June 1980, 98 SCRA 280.

53 Government Service Insurance System v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No.
128471, 6 March 1998, 287 SCRA 204, 209, citing Tomas v. Tomas, supra
note 50.
54 Id., at p. 210, citing Rural Bank of Compostela v. Court of Appeals, et
al., G.R. No. 122801, 8 April 1997, 271 SCRA 76.
434

presented the instruments of conveyance as basis of their

claim of ownership over a portion of land covered by the
title. Simple rationalization would dictate that a
mortgagee-bank has no right to deliver to any stranger any
property entrusted to it other than to those contractually
and legally entitled to its possession. Although we cannot
dismiss the bank’s acknowledgment of the Cruzes’ claim as
legitimized by instruments of conveyance in their
possession, we nonetheless cannot sanction how the bank
was inveigled to do the bidding of virtual strangers.
Undoubtedly, the bank’s cooperative stance facilitated the
issuance of the TCTs. To make matters worse, the bank did
not even notify the heirs of Eduardo. The conduct of the
bank is as dangerous as it is unthinkably negligent.
However, the aspect does not impair the right of the Cruzes
to be recognized as legitimate owners of their portion of the
property.
Undoubtedly, in the absence of the bank’s participation,
the Register of Deeds could not have issued the disputed
TCTs. We cannot find fault on the part of the Register of
Deeds in issuing the TCTs as his authority to issue the
same is clearly sanctioned by law. It is thus ministerial on
the part of the Register of Deeds to issue TCT if the deed of
conveyance and the original owner’s duplicate are
presented to him as there appears on the 55face of the
instruments no badge of irregularity or nullity. If there is
someone to blame for the shortcut resorted to by the
Cruzes, it would be the bank itself whose manager and
legal officer helped the Cruzes to facilitate the issuance of
the TCTs.
The bank should not have allowed complete strangers to
take possession of the owner’s duplicate certificate even if
the purpose is merely for photocopying for a danger of
losing the same is more than imminent. They should be
aware of the conclusive presumption in Section 53. Such
act constitutes manifest negligence on the part of the bank
which would necessarily hold it liable for damages
_______________
55 See Peña, Registration of Land Titles and Deeds, 1994 ed., p. 519
citing Tinatan v. Serilla, 54 O.G. 23, September 15, 1958, Court of
Appeals; Gonzales v. Basa, Jr., 73 Phil. 704 (1942).
435
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 435

under Article
56
1170 and other relevant provisions of the
Civil Code.
In the absence of evidence, the damages that may be
awarded may be in the form of nominal damages. Nominal
damages are adjudicated in order that a right of the
plaintiff, which has been violated or invaded by the
defendant, may be vindicated or recognized, and not for the
purpose57 of indemnifying the plaintiff for any loss suffered
by him. This award rests on the mortgagor’s right to
_______________
56 The following Civil Code provisions are pertinent:
Article 1170. Those who in the performance of their obligations are guilty of fraud,
negligence, or delay, and those who in any manner contravene the tenor thereof,
are liable for damages.
Article 1172. Responsibility arising from negligence in the performance of every
kind of obligation is also demandable, but such liability may be regulated by the
courts, according to the circumstances.
Article 19. Every person must, in the exercise of his rights and in the
performance of his duties, act with justice, give everyone his due, and observe
honesty and good faith.
Article 20. Every person who, contrary to law, willfully or negligently causes
damage to another, shall indemnify the latter for the same.
Article 21. Any person who willfully causes loss or injury to another in a
manner that is contrary to morals, good customs or public policy shall compensate
the latter for the damage.
Article 1973. . . . . The depositary is responsible for the negligence of his
employees.
57 Article 2221 of the Civil Code.

See also my Separate Opinion in the case of Agabon v. NLRC, G.R. No.
158693, November 17, 2004, 442 SCRA 573: “Nominal damages are
adjudicated in order that a right of a plaintiff which has been violated or
invaded by another may be vindicated or recognized without having to
indemnify the plaintiff for any loss suffered by him. Nominal damages
may likewise be awarded in every obligation arising from law, contracts,
quasi-contracts, acts or omissions punished by law and quasi-delicts, or
where any property right has been invaded.
436

rely on the bank’s observance of the highest diligence in the

conduct of its business. The act of RBSP of entrusting to
respondents the owner’s duplicate certificate entrusted to it
by the mortgagor without even notifying the mortgagor and
absent any prior investigation on the veracity of
respondents’ claim and character is a patent failure to
foresee the risk created by the act in view of the provisions
of Section 53 of P.D. No. 1529. This act runs afoul of every

bank’s mandate to observe the highest degree of diligence
in dealing with its clients. Moreover, a mortgagor has also
the right to be afforded due process before deprivation or
diminution of his property is effected as the OCT was still
in the name of Eduardo. Notice and hearing are
indispensable elements of this right which the bank
miserably ignored.
Under the circumstances, the Court believes the award
of P50,000.00 as nominal damages is appropriate.
Five-Year Prohibition against alienation

or encumbrance under the Public Land Act
One vital point. Apparently glossed over by the courts

below and the parties is an aspect which is essential,
spread as it is all over the record and intertwined with the
crux of the controversy, relating as it does to the validity of
the dispositions of the subject property and the mortgage
thereon. Eduardo was issued a title in 1976 on the basis of
his free patent application. Such application implies the
recognition of the public dominion character of the land
and, hence, the five (5)-year prohibition imposed by the
Public Land Act against alienation or encumbrance
58
of the
land covered by a free patent or homestead should have
been considered.
_______________
. . . [I]t should be recognized that nominal damages are not meant to be

compensatory, and should not be computed through a formula based on
actual losses. Consequently, nominal damages are usually limited in
pecuniary value. This fact should be impressed upon the prospective
claimant, especially one who is contemplating seeking
actual/compensatory damages.”
58 SECTION 118. Except in favor of the Government or any of its
branches, units, or institutions, lands acquired under free patent or home-
437
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 437

The deed of sale covering the fifty (50)-square meter right

of way executed by Eduardo on 18 March 1981 is obviously
covered by the proscription, the free patent having been
issued on 8 October 1976. However, petitioners may
recover the portion sold since the prohibition was imposed
in favor of the free patent
59
holder. In Philippine National
Bank v. De los Reyes, this Court ruled squarely on the
point, thus:
While the law bars recovery in a case where the object of the
contract is contrary to law and one or both parties acted in bad
faith, we cannot here apply the doctrine of in pari delicto which
admits of an exception, namely, that when the contract is merely
prohibited by law, not illegal per se, and the prohibition is

designed for the protection of the party seeking to recover, he is
entitled to the relief prayed for whenever public policy is
enhanced thereby. Under the Public Land Act, the prohibition to
alienate is predicated on the fundamental policy of the State to
preserve and keep in the family of the homesteader that portion of
public land which the State has gratuitously given to him, and
recovery is allowed even where the land acquired under the Public
Land Act was sold 60
and not merely encumbered, within the
prohibited period.
The sale of the 553 square meter portion is a different

story. It was executed in 1954, twenty-two (22) years before
the issuance of the patent in 1976. Apparently, Eduardo
disposed of the portion
_______________
stead provisions shall not be subject to encumbrance or alienation from

the date of the approval of the application and for a term of five years
from and after the date of issuance of the patent or grant, nor shall they
become liable to the satisfaction of any debt contracted prior to the
expiration of said period, but the improvements or crops on the land may
be mortgaged or pledged to qualified persons, associations, or
corporations. No alienation, transfer, or conveyance of any homestead
after five years and before twenty-five years after issuance of title shall be
valid without the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce,
which approval shall not be denied except on constitutional and legal
grounds.
59 G.R. Nos. 46898-99, 28 November 1989, 179 SCRA 619.
60 Id., at pp. 628-629, citing Pascua v. Talens, 80 Phil. 792 (1949); Delos
Santos v. Roman Catholic Church of Midsayap, et al., 94 Phil. 405 (1954);
Ras v. Sua, et al., 25 SCRA 153 (1968).
438

even before he thought of applying for a free patent. Where

the sale or transfer took place before the filing of the free
patent application, whether by the vendor or the vendee,
the prohibition should not be applied. In such situation,
neither the prohibition nor the rationale therefor which is
to keep in the family of the patentee that portion of the
public land which the government has gratuitously given
him, by shielding him from the temptation to dispose of his
landholding, could be relevant. Precisely, he had disposed
of his rights to the lot even before the government could
give the title to him.
The mortgage executed in favor of RBSP is also beyond
the pale of the prohibition, as it was forged in December
1981 a few months past the period of prohibition.
WHEREFORE, the Decision of the Court of Appeals is
AFFIRMED, subject to the modifications herein.
Respondent Rural Bank of San Pascual is hereby
ORDERED to PAY petitioners Fifty Thousand Pesos

(P50,000.00) by way of nominal damages. Respondents
Consuelo Cruz and Rosalina Cruz-Bautista are hereby
DIVESTED of title to, and respondent Register of Deeds of
Mey-cauayan, Bulacan is accordingly ORDERED to
segregate, the portion of fifty (50) square meters of the
subject Lot No. 2204, as depicted in the approved plan
covering the lot, marked as Exhibit “A”, and to issue a new
title covering the said portion in the name of the
petitioners at the expense of the petitioners. No costs.
SO ORDERED.
Austria-Martinez (Actg. Chairman), Callejo, Sr. and

Chico-Nazario, JJ., concur.
Puno (Chairman), J., On Official Leave.
Respondents Consuelo Cruz and Rosalina Cruz-Bautista

divested of title to the portion of 50 square meters of subject
Lot No. 2204. Register of Deeds of Meycauayan, Bulacan
ordered to segregate and issue new title covering said
portion in the name of petitioners. Respondent Rural Bank
of San Pascual ordered to pay petitioners P50,000.00 as
nominal damages.
439
VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 439

Torcuator vs. Bernabe
Notes.—The Torrens system of land registration,

though indefeasible, should not be used a means to
perpetrate fraud against the rightful owner of the real
property. (Claudel vs. Court of Appeals, 199 SCRA 113
[1991])
Once a decree of registration is issued under the Torrens
System and the one year period from the issuance of the
decree of registration has lapsed, without said decree being
controverted by any adverse party, the title becomes
perfect and cannot later on be questioned. (Cagayan De Oro
City Landless Residents Association, Inc. [COCLAI] vs.
Court of Appeals, 254 SCRA 220 [1996])
——o0o——
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1/29/2021 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 459

412 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

HEIRS OF EDUARDO MANLAPAT, represented by

Land Titles; Contracts; Registration is not a requirement for

VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 413

Heirs of Eduardo Manlapat vs. Court of Appeals

right to dispose includes the right to donate, to sell, to pledge or

the Register of Deeds was the very genuine owner’s duplicate

414 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Heirs of Eduardo Manlapat vs. Court of Appeals

ardo’s attorney-in-fact, with RBSP. Likewise, the instruments of

VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 415

Heirs of Eduardo Manlapat vs. Court of Appeals

416 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Heirs of Eduardo Manlapat vs. Court of Appeals

of his free patent application. Such application implies the

PETITION for review on certiorari of a decision of the

The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.

1 Rollo, pp. 51-65. Decision penned by Associate Justice Bernardo Ll.

VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 417

2Id., at pp. 42-48. Decision penned by Judge Pablo S. Villanueva.

418 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

April 1963, the Kasulatan

sale executed in 1954 and10

VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 419

Having failed to physically obtain the title from

14 Rollo, p. 99. See also Exhibit, p. 21. The Sinumpaang Salaysay of

420 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

sion plan to be able to segregate the area purchased by

lieu thereof of two separate titles in the names of Ricardo

VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 421

of Ricardo and TCT No. T-9327-P(M) covering21 the

(1) Civil Case No. 650-M-89, for reconveyance with

21 Id., at pp. 28-29.

422 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

(3) Civil Case No. 644-M-89, for declaration of nullity

After trial of the consolidated cases, the RTC of Malolos

“WHEREFORE, premised from the foregoing, judgment is hereby

1. Declaring Transfer Certificates of Title Nos. T-9326-P(M)

a) P200,000.00 as moral damages;

3. Dismissing the counterclaims.

The trial court found that petitioners were entitled to the

ruled that petitioners were bona fide mortgagors of an

25 Supra notes 1 and 2.

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safely vaulted in the impermeable confines of RBSP. To

ministerial as Deputy Register of the Bulacan Registry of

424 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

solved him of any liability with a stern warning that he

“THE FOREGOING CONSIDERED, the appealed decision is

The appellate court ruled that petitioners were not bona

VOL. 459, JUNE 8, 2005 425

Petitioners ascribe errors to the appellate court by asking

Private respondents (Cruzes) own

Consonant with law and justice, the ultimate denouement

34 Id., at pp. 31-32.

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make the affirmance of the right of the Cruzes ineluctable.

Petitioners had no right to constitute