ROYAL SAVINGS BANK, formerly Comsavings Bank, now GSIS FAILY

BANK, Petitioner, v.F!RNAN"O ASIA, IK! LA#AG, CORN!LIA ARANAN, $IY ONG, CONRA"O
ACARALAYA, ROLAN"O SABA, #OAS GALL!GA, LILIA F!"!LIO, ILAGROS %AG&#AY an' NORA
GABA#IC (Colle)*ively referre' *o as res+on'en*s Asia, e* al,- Respondent.
G,R, NO, ./012/, April 10, 2013
Fa)*s3
In .456, 7a)ien)ia Sali*a (Sali*a- an' 8er ne+8ew, Fran)o Valen'eria (Valen'eria-, 9orrowe'
*8e amo:n* of ;2,<<< from +e*i*ioner, #8e la**er loane' *o *8em an a''i*ional ;<,<<< in ay .452,
#o se):re *8e +aymen* of *8e aforemen*ione' amo:n*s loane', Sali*a e=e):*e' a Real !s*a*e
or*gage over 8er +ro+er*y, No*wi*8s*an'ing 'eman's, nei*8er Sali*a nor Valen'eria were a9le *o +ay
off *8eir 'e9*s, For fail:re *o se**le *8eir loans, +e*i*ioner ins*i*:*e' an e=*ra>?:'i)ial fore)los:re
+ro)ee'ing agains* *8e Real !s*a*e or*gage, 7:rs:an* *o A)* No, 0.02, *8e mor*gage' +ro+er*y was
sol' a* a +:9li) a:)*ion a* w8i)8 +e*i*ioner was *8e 8ig8es* 9i''er, Bo*8 Sali*a an' Valen'eria faile' *o
re'eem *8e fore)lose' +ro+er*y, #8:s, #C# was )an)elle' an' a new *i*le )overing *8e same +ro+er*y
was iss:e' in +e*i*ioner@s name,
7:rs:an* *o Se)*ion 5 of A)* 0.02, +e*i*ioner file' wi*8 *8e R#C an !=>7ar*e 7e*i*ion for *8e
Iss:an)e of a Ari* of 7ossession, #8e R#C r:le' in favor of +e*i*ioner an' or'ere' *8e iss:an)e of *8e
wri* of +ossession in *8e la**er@s favor, Res+on'en*s Fernan'o Asia e*,al *8en )laime' *o 8ave 9een in
o+en, )on*in:o:s, e=)l:sive an' no*orio:s +ossession in *8e )on)e+* of owners of *8e lan' in B:es*ion
for 6< years, Allege'ly, *8ey 8a' no knowle'ge an' no*i)e of all +ro)ee'ings involving *8e +ro+er*y
:n*il *8ey were serve' a No*i)e *o Va)a*e #8ey f:r*8er )laime' *8a*, +rior *o *8e servi)e of *8e no*i)e
*o va)a*e, *8ey 8a' no knowle'ge or no*i)e of *8e lower )o:r*@s +ro)ee'ings or *8e fore)los:re s:i* of
+e*i*ioner,
Res+on'en*s file' a mo*ion *o B:as8 *8e wri* of +ossession, 7e*i*ioner )on*en's *8a* 9e)a:se i*
is a governmen*>owne' finan)ial ins*i*:*ion, *8e general r:les on real es*a*e mor*gage fo:n' in A)*
0.02 'o no* a++ly *o i*, I* +rays *8a* 7resi'en*ial "e)ree (7,",- No, 0/2 *8e law in*en'e' s+e)ifi)ally
*o govern mor*gage fore)los:res ini*ia*e' 9y governmen*>owne' finan)ial ins*i*:*ions s8o:l' 9e
a++lie' *o *8e )ase,
Iss:e3
A8e*8er or no* +e*i*ioner as a governmen* finan)ial ins*i*:*ion, i* )anno* 9e en?oine' from
fore)losing on i*s 'elinB:en* a))o:n*s in o9servan)e of *8e man'a*e of 7,", 0/2,
%el'3
No
#8e evi'en* +:r+ose :n'erlying 7,", 0/2 is s:ffi)ien*ly serve' 9y allowing fore)los:re +ro)ee'ings
ini*ia*e' 9y GFIs *o )on*in:e :n*il a ?:'gmen* *8erein 9e)omes final an' e=e):*or, wi*8o:* a
res*raining or'er, *em+orary or +ermanen* in?:n)*ion agains* i* 9eing iss:e', B:* if a +ar)el of lan' is
o)):+ie' 9y a +ar*y o*8er *8an *8e ?:'gmen* 'e9*or, *8e +ro+er +ro)e':re is for *8e )o:r* *o or'er a
8earing *o 'e*ermine *8e na*:re of sai' a'verse +ossession 9efore i* iss:es a wri* of +ossession,
#8is is 9e)a:se a *8ir' +ar*y, w8o is no* +rivy *o *8e 'e9*or, is +ro*e)*e' 9y *8e law, S:)8 *8ir' +ar*y
may 9e e?e)*e' from *8e +remises only af*er 8e 8as 9een given an o++or*:ni*y *o 9e 8ear', *o )om+ly
wi*8 *8e *ime>8ono:re' +rin)i+le of ':e +ro)ess,
Res+on'en*s insis* *8a* *8ey are a)*:al +ossessors in *8e )on)e+* of owners an' *8a* *8ey 8ave 9een
o)):+ying *8e lan' in *8e )on)e+* of owners for 6< years alrea'y, F:r*8ermore, res+on'en*s ma'e i*
)lear in *8e o*ion *o C:as8 *8a* *8ey were no* D)laiming rig8*s as a**orney>in>fa)*, nor lessee, nor
any*8ing from or*gagor 7AC!NCIA SALI#A,D #8:s, w8a*ever rig8*s Sali*a 8a' over *8e +ro+er*y *8a*
were a)B:ire' 9y +e*i*ioner w8en *8e la**er +:r)8ase' i*, )anno* 9e :se' agains* res+on'en*s, as *8eir
)laim is a'verse *o *8a* of Sali*a,
#8e )o:r* e=+laine' in 78ili++ine Na*ional Bank v, A:s*ria *8a* *8e foregoing 'o)*rinal +rono:n)emen*s
are no* wi*8o:* s:++or* in s:9s*an*ive law, *o wi*3
= = =, No*a9ly, *8e Civil Co'e +ro*e)*s *8e a)*:al +ossessor of a +ro+er*y, *o wi*3)ary
Ar*, 600, A)*:al +ossession :n'er )laim of owners8i+ raises a 'is+:*a9le +res:m+*ion of owners8i+,
#8e *r:e owner m:s* resor* *o ?:'i)ial +ro)ess for *8e re)overy of *8e +ro+er*y,
&n'er *8e aforeB:o*e' +rovision, one w8o )laims *o 9e *8e owner of a +ro+er*y +ossesse' 9y ano*8er
m:s* 9ring *8e a++ro+ria*e ?:'i)ial a)*ion for i*s +8ysi)al re)overy, #8e *erm D?:'i)ial +ro)essD )o:l'
mean no less *8an an e?e)*men* s:i* or reivin'i)a*ory a)*ion, in w8i)8 *8e owners8i+ )laims of *8e
)on*en'ing +ar*ies may 9e +ro+erly 8ear' an' a'?:'i)a*e',