ANGELMINISTERIOandASUNCIONSADAYAvs.

THECOURTOFFIRSTINSTANCEOFCEBU
40scra464
FACTS:Petitionerssoughtthepaymentofjustcompensationfora
registeredlotallegingthatin1927theNationalGovernmentthroughits
authorizedrepresentativestookphysicalandmaterialpossessionofitand
useditforthewideningofanationalroad,withoutpayingjustcompensation
andwithoutanyagreement,eitherwrittenorverbal.Therewasanallegation
ofrepeateddemandsforthepaymentofitspriceorreturnofitspossession,
butdefendantsPublicHighwayCommissionerandtheAuditorGeneral
refusedtorestoreitspossession.
ISSUE:Whetherornotthedefendantsareimmunefromsuit.
HOLDING:NO.Wherethejudgmentinsuchacasewouldresultnotonlyin
therecoveryofpossessionofthepropertyinfavorofsaidcitizenbutalsoin
achargeagainstorfinancialliabilitytotheGovernment,thenthesuitshould
beregardedasoneagainstthegovernmentitself,and,consequently,it
cannotprosperorbevalidlyentertainedbythecourtexceptwiththeconsent
ofsaidGovernment.InasmuchastheStateauthorizesonlylegalactsbyits
officers,unauthorizedactsofgovernmentofficialsorofficersarenotactsof
theState,andanactionagainsttheofficialsorofficersbyonewhoserights
havebeeninvadedorviolatedbysuchacts,fortheprotectionofhisrights,is
notasuitagainsttheStatewithintheruleofimmunityoftheStatefromsuit.
NOTE:Whenthegovernmenttakesanypropertyforpublicuse,whichis
conditionuponthepaymentofjustcompensation,tobejudicially
ascertained,itmakesmanifestthatitsubmitstothejurisdictionofacourt.
TheCourtmayproceedwiththecomplaintanddeterminethecompensation
towhichthepetitionerareentitle
(Ministeriovs.CFI,40SCRA464)