Special Civil Actions

G.R. No. 71412

Date: 06/20/2000
11 Benguet Consolidated v. Republic
Petitioner: Benguet Consolidated, In !no" Benguet Cor#oration$
Res#ondents: Re#u%li o& t'e P'ili##ines
Ponente: Gutierre(, )r., J.
Facts:
*'e Re#u%li o& t'e P'ili##ines &iled "it' t'e t'en C+I o& Benguet and Baguio a o,#laint &or e-#ro#riation against 10 de&endants, a,ong
t'e, Benguet Consolidated, In. *'e Re#u%li stated t'at it needed t'e #ro#ert. &or t'e #ur#ose o& esta%lis'ing and ,aintaining a #er,anent
site &or t'e P'ili##ine /ilitar. 0ade,., a training institution &or o&&iers in t'e 0+P, under t'e diret aut'orit. and su#er1ision o& t'e
De#art,ent o& National De&ense. It also a1erred t'at it 'ad ou#ied t'e area o1ered %. t'e ,ining lai,s o& t'e de&endants and 'ad alread.
installed t'erein #er,anent %uildings and ot'er 1alua%le i,#ro1e,ents "it' no less t'an P2,000,000.00 in t'e %elie& t'at t'e area "as
unou#ied #ortions o& t'e #u%li do,ain, and t'at aording to t'e 0##raisal Co,,ittee onstituted under 0d,inistrati1e 3rder No. 144 %.
t'e President o& t'e P'ili##ines, t'e reasona%le and &air ,ar4et 1alue o& t'e rig'ts and interests o& all t'e de&endants "'i' "in %e a&&eted %.
t'ese e,inent do,ain #roeedings annot e-eed t'e total su, o& P522,271.40.
*'e #etitioner &iled a ,otion to dis,iss on t'e ground t'at, inso&ar as it is onerned, t'e Re#u%li did not need and 'as not ou#ied t'e
areas o1ered %. t'e a%o1e6,entioned ,ining lai,s and neit'er 'a1e i,#ro1e,ents %een ,ade on t'e said areas and t'at t'e area o1ers
ground "'i' is rugged in terrain &or "'i' t'e P'ili##ine /ilitar. 0ade,. ould 'a1e no use. B. "a. o& se#arate and s#eial grounds &or
dis,issal, Benguet Consolidated, In. alleged t'at t'e aut'orit. gi1en %. t'e President o& t'e P'ili##ines &or t'e e-#ro#riation #roeedings
re&ers to #ri1atel. o"ned ,ineral lands, ,ining interests, and ot'er #ri1ate interests o& #ri1ate indi1iduals and entities o& #ri1ate indi1iduals in
ertain #ortions o& t'e site sur1e.ed &or and #resentl. ou#ied %. t'e P'ili##ine /ilitar. 0ade,. at 7oa4an, Baguio and t'at t'e
e-#ro#riation o& Benguet Consolidated, In.8s ,ineral lai,s is in 1iolation o& la".
*'e #etitioner states t'at its ,ineral lai,s "ere loated sine 1922 at t'e latest. It argues t'at %. su' loation and #er&etion, t'e land is
segregated &ro, t'e #u%li do,ain e1en as against t'e go1ern,ent. Citing Gold Greek Mining Corporation v. Rodriguez, et al !66 P'il. 259$, it
states t'at "'en t'e loation o& a ,ining lai, is #er&eted, t'is 'as t'e e&&et o& a grant o& e-lusi1e #ossession "it' rig't to t'e en:o.,ent o&
t'e sur&ae ground as "ell as o& all t'e ,inerals "it'in t'e lines o& t'e lai, and t'at t'is rig't ,a. not %e in&ringed.
Issue/Held:
;as t'e onde,nation o& ,ining lai,s ontrar. to la"< No.
Rationale:
*'e #etitioner8s argu,ents 'a1e no ,erit. *'e &iling o& e-#ro#riation #roeedings reogni(es t'e &at t'at t'e #etitioner8s #ro#ert. is no longer
#art o& t'e #u%li do,ain. *'e #o"er o& e,inent do,ain re&ers to t'e #o"er o& go1ern,ent to ta4e private property &or #u%li use. I& t'e
,ineral lai,s are #u%li, t'ere "ould %e no need to e-#ro#riate t'e,. *'e ,ineral lai,s o& t'e #etitioner are not %eing trans&erred to
anot'er ,ining o,#an. or to a #u%li entit. interested in t'e lai,s as su'. *'e land "'ere t'e ,ineral lai,s "ere loated is needed &or
t'e P'ili##ine /ilitar. 0ade,., a #u%li use o,#letel. unrelated to ,ining. *'e &at t'at t'e loation o& a ,ining lai, 'as %een #er&eted
does not %ar t'e Go1ern,ent8s e-erise o& its #o"er o& e,inent do,ain. *'e rig't o& e,inent do,ain o1ers all &or,s o& #ri1ate #ro#ert.,
tangi%le or intangi%le, and inludes rig'ts "'i' are atta'ed to land.
*'e #etitioner ne-t raises a #roedural #oint, "'et'er or not in e-#ro#riation #roeedings an order o& onde,nation ,a. %e entered %. t'e
ourt %e&ore a ,otion to dis,iss is denied. In t'e instant ase t'e ruling on t'e ,otion to dis,iss "as de&erred %. t'e trial ourt in 1ie" o& a
#ossi%le a,ia%le settle,ent. /oreo1er, a&ter t'e trial ourt entered an order o& onde,nation o1er t'e o%:etion o& t'e #etitioner, t'e ourt
issued an order to t'e e&&et t'at t'e trial ourt =...,a4es it o& reord t'at, #ending negotiations %et"een t'e Go1ern,ent and Benguet
Consolidated, In. said or#oration 'as not "ai1ed its rig't to 'allenge #lainti&&8s rig't to onde,n t'e ,ineral lai,s in >uestion.=
*'e lo"er ourt 'eld: ?;'en t'is Court issued t'e order delaring t'at #lainti&& 'as a la"&ul rig't to ta4e t'e #ro#ert. soug't to %e onde,ned,
it i,#liedl. o1erruled de&endant8s /otion to dis,iss "'i' in e-#ro#riation ases ta4es t'e #lae o& an ans"er !@e. 2, Rule 67, Rules o&
Court$, and "'at de&endant ould 'a1e done at t'e ti,e "ould 'a1e %een to #resent e1idene on t'e &air ,ar4et 1alue o& its #ro#erties.
Aa1ing sle#t on its rig'ts, Benguet Consolidated, In. an no longer 'a1e t'is ase reo#ened &or t'e #resentation o& its e1idene.B
*'is order "as not 'allenged %. t'e #etitioner. Instead, it &iled its a%o1e6,entioned seond ,otion &or lari&iation. It is to %e noted t'at in its
,otion &or ne" trial and/or reonsideration, t'e #etitioner stated: ?Benguet Consolidated, In. does not dis#ute t'e rig't o& t'e go1ern,ent to
e-erise t'e #o"er o& e,inent do,ain "it' res#et to its #ro#ert.. Ao"e1er, in so doing t'is ourt &ailed to o,#l. "it' t'e %asi onstitutional
#ro1ision t'at said #o"er an onl. %e e-erised upon payment of just compensationCB
Dnder t'ese iru,stanes, t'e #etitioner is esto##ed &ro, >uestioning t'e #roeedings o& onde,nation &ollo"ed %. t'e ourt. ;e annot
ondone t'e inonsistent #ositions o& t'e #etitioner. It is 1er. lear &ro, t'e state,ents o& t'e #etitioner t'at it 'ad alread. a%andoned its
earlier stand on t'e #ro#riet. o& e-#ro#riation and t'at its intent s'i&ted to t'e :ust o,#ensation to %e #aid %. t'e #lainti&& &or its onde,ned
#ro#erties.
*'e seond issue enters on t'e a,ount o& :ust o,#ensation "'i' s'ould %e #aid %. t'e res#ondent to t'e #etitioner &or t'e onde,ned
#ro#erties. *'e #etitioner assails t'e a##ellate ourt8s a##ro1al o& t'e Co,,issioners8 Re#ort "'i' &i-ed t'e a,ount o& P7,522.46 as :ust
o,#ensation &or t'e ,ineral lai,s. *'e #etitioner ontends t'at t'is a,ount is %. an. standard ridiulousl. lo" and annot %e onsidered
:ust and t'at in &at t'e o,,issioners8 re#ort "as re:eted %. t'e trial ourt. *'e #etitioner8s ,ining lai,s "ere lassi&ied as non6#roduing
un#atented lai,s. It "as esta%lis'ed t'at t'e area o& t'e ,ineral lai,s %elonging to t'e #etitioner and inluded in t'e P'ili##ine /ilitar.
Reser1ation "as 25.10E2 'etares. Aene, t'e o,,issioners arri1ed at t'e total a,ount o& P7,522.46 !25.10E2 - P200.00$ as :ust
o,#ensation to %e #aid to t'e #etitioner &or its ,ining lai,s.
;e &ind no reason to distur% t'e lo"er ourt8s &indings on t'is ,atter. *'e #etitioner 'as not ad1aned an. reason &or us to re:et su'
&indings. ;'ile it is true t'at a ourt ,a. re:et a Co,,issioners8 Re#ort on t'e ground t'at t'e a,ount allo"ed is #al#a%l. inade>uate, it is to
%e noted t'at t'e #etitioner 'erein 'as not su##orted its stand t'at t'e P7,522.46 :ust o,#ensation &or its ,ining lai,s is %. an. standard
ridiulousl. lo" and annot %e onsidered :ust. /oreo1er, it is to %e noted t'at unli4e t'e #lainti&& and ot'er de&endants, t'e #etitioner did not
Na.dia Carla 0. Foro !460$
+e%ruar. 10, 2012
Special Civil Actions
&ile an. o##osition to t'e Co,,issioners8 Re#ort in t'e lo"er ourt. *'e a##ellate ourt, 'o"e1er, s'ould 'a1e #ro1ided &or t'e #a.,ent o&
legal interest &ro, t'e ti,e t'e go1ern,ent too4 o1er t'e #etitioner8s ,ining lai,s until #a.,ent is ,ade %. t'e go1ern,ent.
Na.dia Carla 0. Foro !460$
+e%ruar. 10, 2012