Valeriano Cano vs.

Spouses Vicente and Susan Jumawan

G.R. No. 153860 (February 6, 2006)
Facts:
Respondents Viente !u"a#an and $usan !u"a#an, are o#ners o% a&riu'tura' 'and #it( an area o% about
2),025 s*uare "eters at +aran&ay ,a'a&os, +a&uio -istrit, -a.ao /ity and re&istered in t(eir na"es under
0rans%er /erti%iate o% 0it'e No. 185116 o% -a.ao /ity Re&istry o% -eeds.
2n February 2), 1333, petitioner and respondents entered into a notari4ed dou"ent entit'ed 56&ree"ent,5
#(ereunder, %or 5(u"anitarian onsideration,5 t(e spouses, desi&nated in said dou"ent as 527N8R$,5 a''o#ed
petitioner, t(erein re%erred to as 5+9:;-8R,5 to onstrut a (ouse o% 'i&(t "ateria's in an area o% about t#enty
(20) s*uare "eters at t(e eastern portion o% t(eir property. Good %or a ter" o% t#o (2) years startin& ,ar( 1,
1331 and ter"inatin& on ,ar( 1, 1333.
Fo''o#in& t(e e<piration o% t(e a%ore"entioned 56&ree"ent,5 respondents de"anded t(e petitioner to .aate t(e
area oupied by (i" and to pay a rent o% not 'ess t(an =300.00 a "ont( unti' (e s(a'' (a.e .aated t(e sa"e.
=etitioner re%used. 6%ter oni'iation proeedin&s be%ore t(e 'oa' barangay lupon pro.ed %uti'e, respondents %i'ed
a&ainst petitioner a o"p'aint %or un'a#%u' detainer be%ore t(e ,uniipa' /iruit 0ria' /ourt (,/0/) o% -a.ao /ity
on $epte"ber 20, 1333.
2n !u'y 26, 2000, ,/0/ rendered >ud&"ent in %a.or o% respondents.
6n appea' to R0/, a deision #as rendered re.ersin& t(e appea'ed >ud&"ent %or 'a? o% >urisdition sayin& t(at
,/0/ s(ou'd (a.e dis"issed t(e ase and a''o#ed t(e -6R to reso'.e t(e a&rarian ase. /6 re.ersed and set
aside t(at o% t(e R0/ and reinstated t(e >ud&"ent o% ,/0/.
7it( t(e /6@s denia' o% (is "otion %or reonsideration in its Reso'ution o% !une 6, 2002, petitioner is no# #it( t(is
/ourt .ia t(e present reourse on t(e 'one issue o% (is o#n %or"u'ation.
Issue:
Whether or not the instant case involves agrarian dispute which falls outside the jurisdiction of the Municipal Trial
Court
Law Applicable:
6&rarian dispute, outside t(e >urisdition o% "tA re*uisites o% a&riu'tura' tenany re'ations(ip
Held:
0(e basi ru'e is t(at t(e "ateria' a.er"ents in t(e o"p'aint deter"ine t(e >urisdition o% a ourt. 6nd
>urisprudene ditates t(at a ourt does not 'ose its >urisdition o.er an e>et"ent suit by t(e si"p'e e<pedient o%
a party raisin& as a de%ense t(erein t(e a''e&ed e<istene o% a tenany re'ations(ip bet#een t(e parties. 0(e
ourt ontinues to (a.e t(e aut(ority to (ear and e.a'uate t(e e.idene, preise'y to deter"ine #(et(er or not it
(as >urisdition, and, i%, a%ter (earin&, tenany is s(o#n to e<ist, it s(a'' dis"iss t(e ase %or 'a? o% >urisdition.
Bere, t(e a''e&ation in respondent@s o"p'aint be%ore t(e ,/0/ 'ear'y "a?e out a ase %or un'a#%u' detainer.
=etitioner #as a''o#ed to onstrut (is (ouseCs(anty on a portion o% respondents@ property #it(out payin& renta'
t(ere%ore but "ere'y %or 5(u"anitarian onsideration5, pursuant to a notari4ed a&ree"ent #(i( e<p'iit'y
i"poses on t(e petitioner t(e ob'i&ation to re"orse (is onstrution t(ereon and .aate t(e pre"ises upon t(e
e<piration o% said a&ree"ent. 0(e a&ree"ent (ad undoubted'y e<pired but despite respondent@ de"and to
.aate, petitioner re%used. 0o t(e ,/0/, t(e a&ree"ent #(i( petitioner ad"itted (a.in& si&ned 'ear'y ne&ates
t(e 'ai" o% tenany re'ations(ip bet#een t(e petitioner and t(e respondents. For sure, t(e .ery piees o%
e.idene sub"itted by t(e parties be%ore t(e ,/0/, onsistin& o% anne<es to t(eir respeti.e positi.e papers,
indubitab'y be'ie petitioner@s 'ai" o% bein& a tenant o% respondents.
/ase 'a# tea(es t(at t(e essentia' re*uisites o% an a&riu'tura' tenany re'ations(ip are: (1) t(e parties are t(e
'ando#ner and t(e tenantA (2) t(e sub>et is a&riu'tura' 'andA (3) t(ere is onsentA ()) t(e purpose is a&riu'tura'
produtionA (5) t(ere is persona' u'ti.ationA and (6) t(ere is s(arin& o% (ar.ests. 6'' t(ese re*uisites "ust onur
%or a tenany re'ations(ip to e<ist. 0(e absene o% one does not "a?e an oupant o% a pare' o% 'and, or a
u'ti.ator t(ereo%, or a p'anter t(ereon, a de jure tenant. 9n'ess a person estab'is(es (is status as de jure tenant,
(e is not entit'ed to seurity o% tenure nor o.ered by t(e 'and re%or" pro&ra" o% t(e &o.ern"ent under e<istin&
tenany 'a#s.
Opinion:
/onurrin&, >urisprudene ditates t(at a ourt does not 'ose its >urisdition o.er an e>et"ent suit by t(e
si"p'e e<pedient o% a party raisin& as a de%ense t(erein t(e a''e&ed e<istene o% a tenany re'ations(ip bet#een t(e
parties. 0(e ourt ontinues to (a.e t(e aut(ority to (ear and e.a'uate t(e e.idene, preise'y to deter"ine #(et(er
or not it (as >urisdition, and, i%, a%ter (earin&, tenany is s(o#n to e<ist, it s(a'' dis"iss t(e ase %or 'a? o%
>urisdition.