Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila EN BANC GR No.

46373 January 29, 1940 CARLOS LEVER, appellant-appellant vs. THE COMMONWE !TH O" THE PH#!#PP#NES, espon!ent- espon!ent. D. Benedict M. Javier and Mr. Gibbs & McDonough tor General Assistant, Mr. Zulueta, in representation of the Common ealth of the !hilippines. $an%&'a, J.: "he #ul$ %&, %'%' Ca los Palanca obtaine! a (u!)*ent of the Cou t of +i st ,nstance of Bulacan to eco ! fou pa cels of lan! a!(acent to each othe an! sepa ate! f o* each othe b$ onl$ ce tain -a$s of -ate calle! estua ies. Befo e that sentencin) an! afte pe fo *e! the tests, the .ove n*ent th ou)h the Atto ne$ .ene al, file! a petition to eopen #uico to p ove the e/istence of st ea*s an! navi)able ive s -ithin the fiel!, so that the situation is fi/e! the eof in the plane an! to be e/clu!e! f o* en oll*ent. "he cou t efuse! this e0uest on the ) oun!s innecessa io eopen the case fo that pu pose, fo even in the fiel!, the insc iption of this -oul! not affect the p ope t$ i)hts of the ,nsula .ove n*ent o the public use of such *eans of co**unication, it -oul! al-a$s be safe un!e A ticle 1' of the La- of P ope t$ Re)ist $. Late the .ove n*ent of the Philippines p esente! the p esent action a)ainst Ca los Palanca clai*in) that this ille)all$ occup$in) po tions of the Rio !el Este o Sapan) Vi a$ an! se!ate, -hich a e navi)able, an! as2e! to be fo ce! to open the*, leavin) the* in thei o i)inal state. "he Cou t !is*isse! this action, but its esolution is hi)h to the Cou t of Appeals state! that the plaste an! Rio Vi a$ sai! Sapan) se!ate an! Este o a e !o*ain an! public use an! that the i)ht ac0ui e! b$ Ca los Palanca fiel! in -hich a e can not affect the i)ht of the state on the* as p ope t$ fo public use. Ca los Palanca ose to tu n on appeal b$ certiorari, the !ecision of the Cou t of Appeal to the Sup e*e Cou t. "he Cou t of Appeals state!, in vie- of the evi!ence p esente! in the case, the Rio Este o Sapan) Vi a$ an! se!ate a e -ithin the fiel! of Ca los Palanca, -hich -as sub(ect to the !ecision of the Cou t of +i st ,nstance of Bulacan issue! on %& #ul$ %'%', an! that these a e navi)able ive an! estua $ an! co**on use, se ve as co**unication bet-een t-o ive s, -hich flo- into the Ba$ of Manila, an! st ea*s in the* a e public !o*ain an! use , useful fo co**e ce, navi)ation an! fishin) an! the$ ha! these con!itions -hen the p ope t$ that belon)e! inclu!es even the state. "hese bein) the facts, the application o ecu co b ou)ht befo e the Cou t shoul! be !enie!, also confi *e! the (u!)*ent of the Cou t of Appeals. 3e fin! foun!e! the p etension of the appellant that the !ecision issue! b$ the Cou t of +i st ,nstance of Bulacan on #ul$ %&, %'%' an! "o ens title issue!, in conse0uence, in favo of Ca los

Palanca establishes the none/istence of the ive an! estua $ in 0uestion as navi)able. ,n that !ecision, althou)h it -as sai! that the lan! -as c osse! b$ ce tain outes of -ate calle! estua ies, the e is no state*ent that these st ea*s -e e not navi)able. Mo eove , -hen the )ove n*ent as2e! oppo tunit$ to t $ so*e of these st ea*s -e e navi)able, the cou t !enie! this oppo tunit$ fo the eason that if the$ -e e actuall$ navi)able, the .ove n*ent4s i)ht to, b$ eason of such con!ition of Vi a$ an! the Este o Rive Sapan) se!ate as navi)able, it has not been sub(ect to (u!icial !ecision. +o the est, an! this ive an! navi)able estua $, it useful fo co**e ce, navi)ation an! navi)ation an! fishin), have the cha acte of public !o*ain an! le)al con!ition to this effect has not been affecte! b$ the possession of Ca los Palanca, an$ have been the ti*e of this possession, please be p esc iption a)ainst state p ope t$ in the public !o*ain. +o these easons the appeal is !enie! an! the !ecision of the Cou t of Appeals confi *e!. So is o !e e!. "illa#$eal, %mperial, Dia&, 'aurel and Concepcion, MM., Concur.