Chavez v Public Estate Authority GR No.

133250, July 9, 2002 Land Titles and Deeds Lands of the Public Domain FACT: The Public Est tes Autho!ity is the ce"t! l i#$le#e"ti"% !ecl # tio" $!o(ects " tio")i'e. *t too& o+e! the le si"% PEA sou%ht the t! "s,e! to A.AR*, o, the F!ee'o# *sl "'s. PEA . "il 2 y to A.AR*. ISSUE: HELD: 3hethe! o! "ot the t! "s,e! is + li'. No. To llo) + st !e s o, !ecl i#e' l "'s o, the $ublic 'o# i" to be %!oss +iol tio" o, the co"stitutio" l b " o" %e"cy t s&e' to u"'e!t &e

"' selli"% ,u"ctio"s o, the -ENR

i"so, ! s !ecl i#e' o! bout to be !ecl i#e' ,o!esho!e l "'s !e co"ce!"e'. $!i+ te co!$o! tio", o, the o)"e!shi$ o, //.30 hect !es !e s o, lso sou%ht to h +e 290.151 hect !es o, sub#e!%e'

t! "s,e!!e' to PEA s $!i+ te l "'s )ill s "ctio"

$!i+ te co!$o! tio"s ,!o# c4ui!i"% "y &i"' o, lie" ble l "' o, the $ublic 'o# i". The 5u$!e#e Cou!t ,,i!#e' th t the 15/.60 hect !es o, !ecl i#e' l "'s co#$!isi"% the F!ee'o# *sl "'s, "o) co+e!e' by ce!ti,ic tes o, title i" the " #e o, PEA, !e lie" ble l "'s o, the $ublic 'o# i". The 592.15 hect !es o, sub#e!%e' !e s o, . "il 2 y !e# i" i" lie" ble " tu! l !esou!ces o, the $ublic 'o# i". 5i"ce the A#e"'e' J7A see&s to t! "s,e! to A.AR*, $!i+ te co!$o! tio", o)"e!shi$ o, //.30 hect !es o, the F!ee'o# *sl "'s, such t! "s,e! is +oi' ,o! bei"% co"t! !y to 5ectio" 3, A!ticle 8** o, the 196/ Co"stitutio" )hich $!ohibits $!i+ te co!$o! tio"s ,!o# c4ui!i"% "y &i"' o, lie" ble l "' o, the $ublic 'o# i". Fu!the!#o!e, si"ce the A#e"'e' J7A o)"e!shi$ o, 290.151 hect !es o, still sub#e!%e' lso see&s to t! "s,e! to A.AR* 2 y, such t! "s,e! is +oi' !e s o, . "il

,o! bei"% co"t! !y to 5ectio" 2, A!ticle 8** o, the 196/ Co"stitutio" )hich $!ohibits the lie" tio" o, " tu! l !esou!ces othe! th " %!icultu! l l "'s o, the $ublic 'o# i".

Chavez v Public Estate Authority GR No. 133250, July 9, 2002 F cts: 9" No+e#be! 20, 19/3, the %o+e!"#e"t th!ou%h the Co##issio"e! o, Public :i%h) ys si%"e' co"t! ct )ith the Co"st!uctio" "' -e+elo$#e"t Co!$o! tio" o, the Phili$$i"es ;C-CP< to !ecl i# ce!t i" ,o!esho!e "' o,,sho!e !e s o, . "il 2 y. The co"t! ct lso i"clu'e' the co"st!uctio" o, Ph ses * "' ** o, the . "il =C +ite Co st l Ro '. C-CP obli% te' itsel, to c !!y out ll the )o!&s i" co"si'e! tio" o, ,i,ty $e!ce"t o, the tot l !ecl i#e' l "'. 9" A$!il 25, 1995 the PEA e"te!e' i"to Joi"t 7e"tu!e A%!ee#e"t ;J7A< )ith A.AR* to 'e+elo$ the F!ee'o# *sl "'s. This J7A ) s e"te!e' i"to th!ou%h "e%oti tio" )ithout $ublic bi''i"%. The 5e" te Co##ittee o" Go+e!"#e"t Co!$o! tio"s "' Public E"te!$!ises, "' the Co##ittee o" Accou"t bility o, Public 9,,ice!s "' *"+esti% tio"s, co"'ucte' (oi"t i"+esti% tio". A#o"% the co"clusio" !e: th t the !ecl i#e' l "'s PEA see&s to t! "s,e! to A.AR* u"'e! the J7A !e l "'s o, the $ublic 'o# i" )hich the %o+e!"#e"t h s "ot cl ssi,ie' s lie" ble l "'s "' the!e,o!e PEA c ""ot lie" te these l "'s, the ce!ti,ic tes o, the title co+e!i"% the F!ee'o# *sl "'s !e thus +oi', "' the J7A itsel, is ille% l. 9" -ece#be! 5, 199/, P!esi'e"t R #os c!e te' >e% l T s& Fo!ce to co"'uct stu'y o" the le% lity o, the J7A. The T s& Fo!ce u$hel' the le% lity o, the J7A, co"t! !y to the co"clusio"s o, the 5e" te Co##ittees. 9" A$!il 2/, 1996, Petitio"e! s t ?$ ye! ,ile' the i"st "t $etitio" ,o! # "' #us )ith $! ye! ,o! the issu "ce o, )!it o, $!eli#i" !y i"(u"ctio" "' TR9. Petitio"e! co"te"'s the %o+e!"#e"t st "'s to lose billio"s o, $esos i" the s le by PEA o, the !ecl i#e' l "'s to A.AR*. Petitio"e! $! ys th t PEA $ublicly 'isclose the te!#s o, "y !e"e%oti tio" o, the J7A. Fu!the!#o!e, $etitio"e! ss ils the s le to A.AR* o, l "'s o, the $ublic 'o# i"s s bl t "t +iol tio" o, 5ec 3, A!t 8** o, the Co"stitutio" $!ohibiti"% the s le o, lie" ble l "'s o, the $ublic 'o# i" to $!i+ te co!$o! tio"s. Petitio"e! sse!t th t he see&s to e"(oi" the loss o, billio" o, $esos i" $!o$e!ties o, the 5t te th t !e o, $ublic 'o#i"io". *ssue: 3hethe! o! "ot the $etitio"e! h s le% l st "'i"% to b!i"% the suit. R tio -eci'e"'i: The $etitio"e! h s st "'i"% to b!i"% the t ?$ ye!@s suit bec use the $etitio" see&s to co#$el PEA to co#$ly )ith its co"stitutio" l 'uties. This 'uties !e $ !ticul !ly i" "s)e! o, the !i%ht o, citiAe"s to i",o!# tio" o" # tte!s o, $ublic co"ce!", "' o, co"stitutio" l $!o+isio" i"te"'e' to i"su!e the e4uit ble 'ist!ibutio" o, lie" ble l "'s o, the $ublic 'o# i" #o"% Fili$i"o citiAe"s. Fu!the!#o!e, the cou!t co"si'e!e' th t the $etitio" ! ise' # tte!s o, t! "sce"'e"t l i#$o!t "ce tot eh $ublic. The #e!e , ct th t the $etitio"e! is citiAe" s tis,ies the !e4ui!e#e"t o, $e!so" l i"te!est )he" the $!ocee'i"% i"+ol+es the sse!tio" o, $ublic !i%ht. Also, o!'i" !y t ?$ ye!s h +e !i%ht to i"iti te "' $!osecute ctio"s 4uestio"i"% the + li'ity o, cts o! o!'e!s o, %o+e!"#e"t %e"cies o! i"st!u#e"t lities i, the issues ! ise !e o, $ ! #ou"t $ublic i"te!est "' i, they i##e'i tely ,,ect the soci l, eco"o#ic "' #o! l )ell bei"% o, the $eo$le. The #e"'e' J7A 'oes "ot # &e the issue #oot "' c 'e#ic si"ce this co#$els the cou!t to i"su!e the %o+e!"#e"t itsel, 'oes "ot +iol te $!o+isio" o, the Co"stitutio" i"te"'e' to s ,e%u !' the " tio" l $ t!i#o"y. The co"te"t o, the #e"'e' J7A see&s to t! "s,e! title "' o)"e!shi$ o, !ecl i#e' l "'s to si"%le co!$o! tio". The cou!t 'oes "ot hesit te to !esol+e the le% l o! co"stitutio" l issues ! ise' to ,o!#ul te co"t!olli"% $!i"ci$les to %ui'e the be"ch, b ! "' the $ublic.

The i"st "t c se ! ises co"stitutio" l issues o, t! "sce"'e"t l i#$o!t "ce to the $ublic. Cou!t c " !esol+e this c se )ithout 'ete!#i"i"% "y , ctu l issue !el te' to the c se. The i"st "t c se is $etitio" ,o! # "' #us )hich , lls u"'e! the o!i%i" l (u!is'ictio" o, the Cou!t. Fu!the!#o!e, PEA ) s u"'e! $ositi+e le% l 'uty to 'isclose to the $ublic the te!#s "' co"'itio"s ,o! the s le o, its l "'s. The $!i"ci$le o, e?h ustio" o, '#i"ist! ti+e !e#e'ies 'oes "ot $$ly )he" the issue i"+ol+e' is $u!ely le% l o! co"stitutio" l 4uestio". The !i%ht to i",o!# tio" i"clu'es o,,ici l i",o!# tio" o" o"=%oi"% "e%oti tio"s be,o!e ,i" l %!ee#e"t s !e4ui!e' by the co"stitutio". The 5u$!e#e Cou!t %! "te' the $etitio". PEA "' A# !i Co st l 2 y -e+elo$#e"t Co!$o! tio" !e $e!# "e"tly e"(oi"e' ,!o# i#$le#e"ti"% the #e"'e' J7A )hich is he!eby 'ecl !e' "ull "' +oi' b i"itio.