VILLARICO V. COURT OF APPEALS

309 SCRA 193

 

FACTS:

Spouses Villarico sought for the confirmation of title over a parcel of land to which they allege that they absolutely own the land.  This was opposed to by a person who posed himself also to be the rightful owner of the land, as well as by the Director of Forestry who said that the subject land is part of forest  land  and  may  not  be  appropriated.    Trial  and  appellate  court dismissed application of petitioners.
 

HELD:

There  has  been  no  showing  that  a  declassification  has  been  made  of  the land  in  question  as  disposable  or  alienable.    And  the  record  indeed disclosed  that  applicants  have  not  introduced  any  evidence  which  would have led the court a quo to rule otherwise.
 
Forest lands cannot be owned by private persons.  Possession thereof, no matter  how  long  doesn’t  ripen  to  a  registrable  title.    The  adverse possession which may be the basis of a grant or title or confirmation of an imperfect title refers only to alienable or disposable portions of the public domain.