8/10/2019 Balboa vs. Farrales

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Republic of the Philippines

SUPREME COURT

Manila

EN BANC

G.R. No. L-!"#$ %eb&ua&' ()* ($+

BUENA,ENTURA BALBOA* plaintiff-appellant* s.CECLO L. %ARRALES* /efen/ant-appellant. E&nesto 0a&a1o2a

fo& plaintiff-appellant. Ale3o Lab&a/o& fo& /efen/ant-appellant.

4O5NSON* 4.6

The 7ate&ial facts in this case* as /isclose/ b' the &eco&/* 7a' be b&iefl' state/ as follo8s.

9(: So7eti7e in the 'ea& ($(;* the plaintiff Buenaentu&a Balboa fille/ 8ith the Bu&eau of Lan/s an application fo&

ho7estea/* No. ("e lo e?puesto* el 4u21a/o le1a a la conclusion /e =ue el E?hibit es nulo e inefica2* po& cuanto =ue la enta fue

oto&1a/a fue&a /e lo p&esc&ito en el a&ticulo ((< /e la Le' No. +!)* =ue p&oce/e /ecla&a& nulo /icho /ocu7ento E?hibit

(* '* consi1uinte7ente* el ce&tifica/o /e t&ansfe&encia /e titulo

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The p&incipal =uestion &aise/ in this appeal is 8hethe& the ali/it' of the sale of the lan/ in =uestion shoul/ be /ete&7ine/

un/e& the p&oisions of Act No. $< o& un/e& those of Act No. +!). n othe& 8o&/s* 8hich of the t8o Acts $< an/

+!) shall be applie/ in /ete&7inin1 8hethe& the sale in =uestion is ali/ o& notD

The lan/ in =uestion 8as ac=ui&e/ b' Buenentu&a Balboa as ho7estea/ un/e& the p&oisions an/ pu&suant to the

&e=ui&e7ents of Act No. $i&ecto& of Lan/s on %eb&ua&' (#* ($(+. n othe&

8o&/s* Buenaentu&a Balboa* ha/ sho8n* to the satisfaction of the Goe&n7ent* that he ha/ pe&fo&7e/ all of the acts

&e=ui&e/ of an applicant fo& ho7estea/* an/* un/e& the p&oisions of section ; of Act no. $ate&* (" U. S.* )

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p&esent an/ e?clusie possession of the lan/. Een 8ithout a patent* a pe&fecte/ ho7estea/ is a p&ope&t' &i1ht in the

fullest sense* unaffecte/ b' the fact that the pa&a7ount title to the lan/ is in the Goe&n7ent. Such lan/ 7a' be cone'e/

o& inhe&ite/.

n the Unite/ States an/ in each an/ ee&' State of the Union este/ &i1hts a&e safe1ua&/e/ b' the )th A7en/7ent to the

%e/e&al Constitution* 8hich p&oi/es that no State shall /ep&ie an' pe&son of life* libe&t' o& p&ope&t' 8ithout /ue

p&ocess of la8.

The state has no po8e& to /iest o& to i7pai& este/ &i1hts* 8hethe& such an atte7pt to /o so be 7a/e b' le1islatie

enact7ent* b' 7unicipal o&/inance* o& b' a chan1e in the constitution of the estate. This &esult follo8s f&o7 p&ohibitions

containe/ in the constitution o& pa&ticula&l' all the states. Befo&e the a/option of the fou&teenth a7en/7ent the&e 8as no

p&ohibition in the Constitution of the Unite/ States 8hich 8oul/ p&eent the states f&o7 passin1 la8s /iestin1 este/

&i1hts* unless these la8s also i7pai&e/ the obli1ation of contact* o& 8e&e e? post facto la8s but este/ p&ope&t' &i1hts a&e

no8 p&otecte/ a1ainst state action b' the p&oision of the fou&teenth a7en/7ent that no state shall /ep&ie an' pe&son of

life* libe&t' o& p&ope&t' 8ithout /ue p&ocess of la8. 9( C. 4.* sec. )+