Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Registration of grants and patents involving public lands is governed by Section 122 of Act No. 496, which was subsequently amended by Section 103 of Presidential Decree No. 1529




FELIX TING HO, JR.,  MERLA TING HO BRADEN, JUANA TING HO & LYDIA TING HO BELENZO vs. VICENTE TENG GUI, G.R. No. 130115, July 16, 2008

"X x x.

Registration of grants and patents involving public lands is governed by Section 122 of Act No. 496, which was subsequently amended by Section 103 of Presidential Decree No. 1529viz:

Sec. 103. Certificate of title pursuant to patents.Whenever public land is by the Government alienated, granted or conveyed to any person, the same shall be brought forthwith under the operation of this Decree.It shall be the duty of the official issuing the instrument of alienation, grant, patent or conveyance in behalf of the Government to cause such instrument to be filed with the Register of Deeds of the province or city where the land lies, and to be there registered like other deeds and conveyance, whereupon a certificate of title shall be entered as in other cases of registered land, and an owners duplicate issued to the grantee. The deeds, grant, patent or instrument of conveyance from the Government to the grantee shall not take effect as a conveyance or bind the land, but shall operate only as a contract between the Government and the grantee and as evidence of authority to the Register of Deeds to make registration. It is the act of registration that shall be the operative act to affect and convey the land, and in all cases under this Decree registration shall be made in the office of the Register of Deeds of the province or city where the land lies. The fees for registration shall be paid by the grantee. After due registration and issuance of the certificate of title, such land shall be deemed to be registered land to all intents and purposes under this Decree.[16] (Emphasis supplied)

Under the law, a certificate of title issued pursuant to any grant or patent involving public land is as conclusive and indefeasible as any other certificate of title issued to private lands in the ordinary or cadastral registration proceeding. The effect of the registration of a patent and the issuance of a certificate of title to the patentee is to vest in him an incontestable title to the land, in the same manner as if ownership had been determined by final decree of the court, and the title so issued is absolutely conclusive and indisputable, and is not subject to collateral attack.[17]
X x x.”