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763 PHIL. 1
FIRST DIVISION
[ G.R. No. 156022, July 06, 2015 ]
AURELLANO AGNES, EDUARDO AGNES, ESPIRITU AGNES,
ESTELLA AGNES, PANTALEON AGNES, FILOTEO APUEN, IMELDA
APUEN, MOISES APUEN, ROGELIO APUEN, GONZALO AUSTRIA,
JAVIER AUSTRIA, BONIFACIO EGUIA, LYDIA EGUIA, MANUEL
GABARDA, SR., MELECIO GARCIA, CRISTOBAL LOQUIB, MARIA
LOQUIB, MATERNO LOQUIB, GEORGE MACANAS, MODESTO
MANLEBTEN, JUANITO AUSTRIA, CONCHITA BERNAL, AURELIO
BERNAL, PABLITO BOGANTE, FELICIANO CANTON, ALFREDO
CANETE, CECILIA CANETE, CHERRY DE MESA, ROBERTO NOVERO,
PERLITO PABIA, RODRIGO SABROSO, JUAN TALORDA, AND
RAFAELA TRADIO, PETITIONERS, VS. REPUBLIC OF THE
PHILIPPINES, RESPONDENT.
RESOLUTION
LEONARDO-DE CASTRO, J.:
Before Us is a Petition for Review on Certiorari[1] essentially seeking the reversal of
the April 24, 2002 Decision[2] of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CV No. 46222,
entitled "Republic of the Philippines v. Agnes, et al.," which affirmed the February
23, 1994 Decision[3] of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Palawan, Branch 49, Fourth
Judicial Region, Puerto Princesa City in Civil Case No. 2262, entitled "Republic of the
Philippines v. Aurellano Agnes, et al."
The facts, as culled from the records, are as follows:
Calauit Island (Calauit) is a 3,600-hectare island that forms part of the Calamianes
Island group in the Province of Palawan.
The petitioners claim to be among the more than 250 families ("settlers") who lived
in Calauit[4] as successors of the early settlers therein. They are members of the
"Balik Calauit Movement," which was organized for the purpose of reclaiming the
lands they used to occupy. The settlers lay claim on the lands of Calauit either (1)
through a predecessor, who had become a titled owner by virtue of Act No. 926;[5]
or (2) by means of an imperfect title, which they, by themselves or their ancestors,
had acquired by way of "unbroken, continuous, exclusive and notorious possession
and cultivation"[6] of the lands therein until their relocation in 1977.
In 1973, the Bureau of Lands started to survey Calauit. After some
surveyors met some resistance to the continued survey, but the settlers
that it was being done for purposes of titling the latter's landholdings, as
determine how much land may be apportioned for people coming from
who were to be relocated in the area in view of the establishment of the
elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/61037
time, the
were told
well as to
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