1. The petitioners filed a case in the RTC seeking to quiet title over a parcel of land they inherited from their father. The RTC dismissed the case, finding it did not have jurisdiction as the land was allegedly "friar land".
2. The CA dismissed the petitioners' subsequent petition for certiorari, finding they could have appealed the RTC's decision.
3. The Supreme Court ruled that the RTC committed grave abuse of discretion in dismissing the case for lack of jurisdiction, as jurisdiction over title and possession cases belongs to the RTC. It also found that certiorari was a proper remedy given the risk of injustice if the dismissal was not overturned.
1. The petitioners filed a case in the RTC seeking to quiet title over a parcel of land they inherited from their father. The RTC dismissed the case, finding it did not have jurisdiction as the land was allegedly "friar land".
2. The CA dismissed the petitioners' subsequent petition for certiorari, finding they could have appealed the RTC's decision.
3. The Supreme Court ruled that the RTC committed grave abuse of discretion in dismissing the case for lack of jurisdiction, as jurisdiction over title and possession cases belongs to the RTC. It also found that certiorari was a proper remedy given the risk of injustice if the dismissal was not overturned.
1. The petitioners filed a case in the RTC seeking to quiet title over a parcel of land they inherited from their father. The RTC dismissed the case, finding it did not have jurisdiction as the land was allegedly "friar land".
2. The CA dismissed the petitioners' subsequent petition for certiorari, finding they could have appealed the RTC's decision.
3. The Supreme Court ruled that the RTC committed grave abuse of discretion in dismissing the case for lack of jurisdiction, as jurisdiction over title and possession cases belongs to the RTC. It also found that certiorari was a proper remedy given the risk of injustice if the dismissal was not overturned.
On May 2, 2000, the petitioners commenced an action for
quieting of title and reconveyance in the RTC in Trece Martires City averring that they were the true and real owners of the parcel of land situated in Trez Cruzes, Tanza, Cavite, having inherited the land from their father; that their late father had been the grantee of the land by virtue of his occupation and cultivation; that their late father and his predecessors in interest had been in open, exclusive, notorious, and continuous possession of the land for more than 30 years; that they had discovered in 1999 an affidavit dated March 1, 1966 that their father had purportedly executed whereby he had waived his rights, interests, and participation in the land; that by virtue of the affidavit, Sales Certificate had been issued in favor of respondent Lorenzo Mores by the then Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources; and that Transfer Certificate of Title had later issued to the respondents. On August 1, 2000, the respondents, as defendants, filed a motion to dismiss, insisting that the RTC had no jurisdiction to take cognizance of the case due to the land being friar land, and that the petitioners had no legal personality to commence it. The RTC granted the motion to dismiss because of the opinion that it has not acquired jurisdiction over the case being the land subject of the case is a friar land and not land of public domain and therefore must be under the exclusive administration and disposition of the Director of Lands. The petitioners then timely filed a motion for reconsideration, but the RTC denied their motion for reconsideration. Therefore, the petitioners assailed the dismissal via petition for certiorari, but the CA dismissed the same, contending that the basic requisite for the special civil action of certiorari to lie is that there is no appeal, nor any plain, speedy and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law. When the court rendered the assailed decision, the remedy of the petitioners was to have appealed the same to this Court. But petitioners did not. Petitioners filed for motion for reconsideration but the CA denied it. Hence, this appeal. Issues:
1. Whether the CA erred in not finding that the trial judge
gravely abused its discretion when it dismissed the complaint for lack of jurisdiction. 2. Whether the CA erred in dismissing the petition for certiorari. HELD: 1. Yes. The law governing jurisdiction is Section 19 (2) of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended by Republic Act No. 7691, which provides: Section 19. Jurisdiction in Civil Cases. Regional Trial Courts shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction: xxx xxx (2) In all civil actions which involve the title to, or possession of, real property, or any interest therein, where the assessed value of the property involved exceeds Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) or for civil actions in Metro Manila, where such value exceeds Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) except actions for forcible entry into and unlawful detainer of lands or buildings, original jurisdiction over which is conferred upon the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts; xxx Conformably with the provision, because an action for reconveyance or to remove a cloud on ones title involves the title to, or possession of, real property, or any interest therein, exclusive original jurisdiction over such action pertained to the RTC, unless the assessed value of the property did not exceed P20,000.00 (in which instance the MTC having territorial jurisdiction would have exclusive original jurisdiction). Determinative of which regular court had jurisdiction would be the allegations of the complaint (on the assessed value of the property) and the principal relief thereby sought. The respondents reliance on Section 12 and Section 18 of Act No. 1120 to sustain their position that the Bureau of Public Lands (now LMB) instead had exclusive jurisdiction was without basis. The provisions read: Section 12. xxx the Chief of the Bureau of Public Lands shall give the said settler and occupant a certificate which shall set forth in detail that the Government has agreed to sell to such settler and
occupant the amount of land so held by him, at the price so fixed,
payable as provided in this Act at the office of the Chief of Bureau of Public Lands xxx and that upon the payment of the final installment together with all accrued interest the Government will convey to such settler and occupant the said land so held by him by proper instrument of conveyance, which shall be issued and become effective in the manner provided in section one hundred and twenty-two of the Land Registration Act xxx. Section 18. No lease or sale made by Chief of the Bureau of Public Lands under the provisions of this Act shall be valid until approved by the Secretary of the Interior. As the provisions indicate, the authority of LMB under Act No. 1120, being limited to the administration and disposition of friar lands, did not include the petitioners action for reconveyance. LMB ceases to have jurisdiction once the friar land is disposed of in favor of a private person and title duly issues in the latters name. By ignoring the petitioners showing of its plain error in dismissing Civil Case No. TM-983, and by disregarding the allegations of the complaint, the RTC acted whimsically and capriciously. Given all the foregoing, the RTC committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of jurisdiction. The term grave abuse of discretion connotes whimsical and capricious exercise of judgment as is equivalent to excess, or lack of jurisdiction. The abuse must be so patent and gross as to amount to an evasion of a positive duty or to a virtual refusal to perform a duty enjoined by law, or to act at all in contemplation of law as where the power is exercised in an arbitrary and despotic manner by reason of passion or hostility. 2. Yes. The settled rule precluding certiorari as a remedy against the final order when appeal is available notwithstanding, the Court rules that the CA should have given due course to and granted the petition for certiorari for two exceptional reasons, namely: (a) the broader interest of justice demanded that certiorari be given due course to avoid the undeserved grossly unjust result that would befall the petitioners otherwise; and (b) the order of the RTC granting the motion to dismiss on ground of
lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter evidently constituted
grave abuse of discretion amounting to excess of jurisdiction. On occasion, the Court has considered certiorari as the proper remedy despite the availability of appeal, or other remedy in the ordinary course of law. In Francisco Motors Corporation v. Court of Appeals, the Court has declared that the requirement that there must be no appeal, or any plain speedy and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law admits of exceptions, such as: (a) when it is necessary to prevent irreparable damages and injury to a party; (b) where the trial judge capriciously and whimsically exercised his judgment; (c) where there may be danger of a failure of justice; (d) where an appeal would be slow, inadequate, and insufficient; (e) where the issue raised is one purely of law; (f) where public interest is involved; and (g) in case of urgency. Specifically, the Court has held that the availability of appeal as a remedy does not constitute sufficient ground to prevent or preclude a party from making use of certiorari if appeal is not an adequate remedy, or an equally beneficial, or speedy remedy. It is inadequacy, not the mere absence of all other legal remedies and the danger of failure of justice without the writ, that must usually determine the propriety of certiorari. The dismissal of Civil Case, unless undone, would leave the petitioners bereft of any remedy to protect their substantial rights or interests in the land. As such, they would suffer grave injustice and irreparable damage. In that situation, the RTCs dismissal should be annulled through certiorari, for the task of the remedy was to do justice to the unjustly aggrieved. WHEREFORE, the Court grants the petition for certiorari.