G.R. No. 171717 Dec.

15, 2010
BRITO V. DIANALA.
FACTS:
Subject of the pree!t pet"t"o! " # p#rce$ of $#!% $oc#te% #t B#rr"o S"c#b#, &#%"' &"t(, Ne)ro
Occ"%e!t#$. The #"% tr#ct of $#!% " # port"o! of Lot No. 15*+,B, for-er$( .!o/! # Lot No. 501,
B, originally owned by a certain Esteban Dichimo and his wife, Eufemia Dianala, both of
/ho- #re #$re#%( %ece#e%. O! Septe-ber 27, 107+, 1#r)#r"t# D"ch"-o, #"te% b( her
hub#!%, R#-o! Br"to, Sr., to)ether /"th B"e!2e!"%o D"ch"-o, 3r#!c"co D"ch"-o, 4%"to
D"ch"-o, 1#r"# D"ch"-o, 5er-"!"# D"ch"-o, #"te% b( her hub#!%, A!)e$"!o 1""o!,
Leo!or# Dech"-o, #"te% b( her hub#!%, I)-e%"o 1""o!, 3e$"c"to, #!% 1er$"!%# Dech"-o,
#"te% b( her hub#!%, 3#uto Do$$e!o, f"$e% # &o-p$#"!t for Reco2er( of 6oe"o! #!%
D#-#)e /"th the the! &ourt of 3"rt I!t#!ce 7!o/ Re)"o!#$ Tr"#$ &ourt8 of Ne)ro Occ"%e!t#$,
#)#"!t # cert#"! 9oe 1#r"# Go$e'. The c#e /# %oc.ete% # &"2"$ &#e No. 12::7.
6et"t"o!er; /"fe, 1#r)#r"t#, to)ether /"th B"e!2e!"%o #!% 3r#!c"co, #$$e)e% th#t the( #re the
he"r of # cert#"! V"ce!te D"ch"-o, /h"$e 4%"to, 1#r"#, 5er-"!"#, Leo!or#, 3e$"c"to #!% 1er$"!%#
c$#"-e% to be the he"r of o!e 4ueb"o D"ch"-o< th#t Vicente and Eusebio are the only heirs
of Esteban and Eufemia< th#t 4teb#! #!% 4ufe-"# %"e% "!tet#te #!% upo! the"r %e#th
V"ce!te #!% 4ueb"o, # co-pu$or( he"r, "!her"te% Lot No. 15*+,B< th#t, "! tur!, V"ce!te #!%
4ueb"o, #!% the"r repect"2e poue, #$o %"e% "!tet#te $e#2"!) the"r pro indiviso h#re of
Lot No. 15*+,B # p#rt of the "!her"t#!ce of the co-p$#"!#!t "! &"2"$ &#e No. 12::7.
O! 9u$( 20, 10:*, here"! repo!%e!t f"$e% #! A!/er,"!,I!ter2e!t"o! c$#"-"!) th#t prior to his
marriage to Eufemia, Esteban was married to a certain Francisca Dumalagan that
Esteban and Francisca bore fi!e children, all of whom are already deceased that herein
respondents are the heirs of Esteban and Francisca"s children< th#t the( #re "! ope!,
#ctu#$, pub$"c #!% u!"!terrupte% poe"o! of # port"o! of Lot No. 15*+,B for -ore th#! *0
(e#r< th#t the"r $e)#$ "!teret o2er the ubject $ot pre2#"$ o2er thoe of pet"t"o!er #!% h" co,
he"r. O! No2e-ber 2+, 10:+, the tr"#$ court "ue% #! Or%er %"-""!) /"thout preju%"ce
repo!%e!t; A!/er,"!,I!ter2e!t"o!. &"2"$ &#e No. 12::7 the! /e!t to tr"#$. Sube=ue!t$(,
the p#rt"e "! &"2"$ &#e No. 12::7 #)ree% to e!ter "!to # Compromise Agreement wherein
#ot $o% &'()*+ was di!ided between ,ose -aria .ole/, on one hand, and the heirs of
Vicente, !#-e$(> 1#r)#r"t#, B"e!2e!"%o, #!% 3r#!c"co, o! the other. 0t was stated in the said
agreement that the heirs of Eusebio had sold their share in the said lot to the mother of
.ole/% Thu, o! Septe-ber 0, 100:, the RT& of B#co$o% &"t( re!%ere% # %ec""o! #ppro2"!)
the #"% &o-pro-"e A)ree-e!t. Thereafter, TCT $o% T*&1')& was issued by the 2egister
of Deeds of Cadi/ City in the name of -argarita, +ien!enido and Francisco.
O! 9#!u#r( 1:, 1000, here"! pet"t"o!er #!% h" co,he"r f"$e% #!other Complaint for 2eco!ery
of 3ossession and Damages, this time against herein respondents. 5ere"! repo!%e!t,
o! the other h#!%, f"$e% /"th the #-e court, o! Au)ut 1:, 1000, # &o-p$#"!t for
Reco!2e(#!ce #!% D#-#)e #)#"!t pet"t"o!er #!% h" co,he"r. RT& %"-"e% both c#e.
5ere"! repo!%e!t the! #ppe#$e% the c#e to the &A pr#("!) th#t the port"o! of the RT& 9o"!t
Or%er %"-""!) the"r co-p$#"!t be %ec$#re% !u$$ #!% 2o"% #!% th#t the c#e be %ec"%e% o! the
-er"t. &A )r#!te% the repo!%e!t; #ppe#$.
ISS?4> @AN repo!%e!t #re b#rre% b( precr"pt"o! for h#2"!) f"$e% the"r co-p$#"!t for
reco!2e(#!ce o!$( #fter -ore th#! e")ht (e#r fro- the %"co2er( of the fr#u% #$$e)e%$(
co--"tte% b( pet"t"o!er #!% h" co,he"r, #r)u"!) th#t u!%er the $#/ #! #ct"o! for reco!2e(#!ce
of re#$ propert( reu$t"!) fro- fr#u% precr"be "! four (e#r, /h"ch per"o% " rec.o!e% fro- the
%"co2er( of the fr#u%
54LD> No. There " !o %"pute th#t repo!%e!t #re "! poe"o! of the ubject propert( #
e2"%e!ce% b( the f#ct th#t pet"t"o!er #!% h" co,he"r f"$e% # ep#r#te #ct"o! #)#"!t repo!%e!t
for reco2er( of poe"o! thereof. Thus, owing to respondents" possession of the disputed
property, it follows that their complaint for recon!eyance is, in fact, imprescriptible. A
uch, /"th -ore re#o! hou$% repo!%e!t !ot be he$% )u"$t( of $#che # the #"% %octr"!e,
/h"ch " o!e "! e=u"t(, c#!!ot be et up to re"t the e!force-e!t of #! "-precr"pt"b$e $e)#$
r")ht.
I! the"r co-p$#"!t for reco!2e(#!ce #!% %#-#)e, repo!%e!t #$$e)e% th#t pet"t"o!er #!% h"
co,he"r #c=u"re% the ubject propert( b( -e#! of fr#u%. Article &4') of the Ci!il Code
pro!ides that a person ac5uiring property through fraud becomes, by operation of law, a
trustee of an implied trust for the benefit of the real owner of the property. A! #ct"o! for
reco!2e(#!ce b#e% o! #! "-p$"e% trut precr"be "! ten years, the rec6oning point of which
is the date of registration of the deed or the %#te of "u#!ce of the cert"f"c#te of t"t$e o2er the
propert(.
I! co!tr#t, u!%er the pree!t &"2"$ &o%e, /e f"!% th#t jut # #! "-p$"e% or co!truct"2e trut "
#! offpr"!) of the $#/ 7Art. 1B5+, &"2"$ &o%e8, o " the correpo!%"!) ob$")#t"o! to reco!2e( the
propert( #!% the t"t$e thereto "! f#2or of the true o/!er. I! th" co!teCt, #!% 2",#,2" precr"pt"o!,
Art"c$e 11BB of the &"2"$ &o%e " #pp$"c#b$e. Article &&44% The following actions must be
brought within ten years from the time the right of action accrues:
718 ?po! # /r"tte! co!tr#ct<
728 ?po! #! ob$")#t"o! cre#te% b( $#/<
7*8 ?po! # ju%)-e!t.
An action for recon!eyance based on an implied or constructi!e trust must perforce
prescribe in ten years and not otherwise% A long line of decisions of this Court, and of
!ery recent !intage at that, illustrates this rule. ?!%oubte%$(, "t " !o/ /e$$ ett$e% th#t #!
#ct"o! for reco!2e(#!ce b#e% o! #! "-p$"e% or co!truct"2e trut precr"be "! te! (e#r fro-
the "u#!ce of the Torre! t"t$e o2er the propert(. 0n the instant case, TCT $o% T*&1')& was
obtained by petitioner and his co*heirs on September 17, &889, while respondents filed
their complaint for recon!eyance on August &7, &888% :ence, it is clear that the ten*year
prescripti!e period has not yet e;pired% Repo!%e!t #re !ot )u"$t( of $#che "-p$(
bec#ue the( #re !o $o!)er p#rt"e to the c#e #!%, # uch, h#2e !o pero!#$"t( to ##"$ the
#"% ju%)-e!t. Repo!%e!t; #ct of f"$"!) the"r #ct"o! for reco!2e(#!ce /"th"! the te!,(e#r
precr"pt"2e per"o% %oe !ot co!t"tute #! u!re#o!#b$e %e$#( "! #ert"!) the"r r")ht. L#che "
recoure "! e=u"t(. 4=u"t(, ho/e2er, " #pp$"e% o!$( "! the #be!ce, !e2er "! co!tr#2e!t"o!, of
t#tutor( $#/. 1oreo2er, the precr"pt"2e per"o% #pp$"e o!$( "f there " #! #ctu#$ !ee% to
reco!2e( the propert( # /he! the p$#"!t"ff " !ot "! poe"o! thereof. Other/"e, if the
plaintiff is in possession of the property, prescription does not commence to run against
him.