ESPERANZA ESPIRITU and ANTONIA APOSTOL, petitioners,

vs.
FRANCISCO VALERIO, respondent.

DIZON, J.:

Facts:
 Appeal taken by Esperanza Espiritu and her daughter, Antonia Apostol, from the decision
of the Court of Appeals affirming the one rendered by the Court of First Instance of
Pangasinan in Civil Case No. 13293 declaring appellee Francisco Valerio, to be the owner
of the land described in his complaint and enjoining defendants from molesting him in the
peaceful possession thereof.
 September 15, 1955 Valerio filed an action to quiet title in the above mentioned Court
against appellants, alleging in his complaint that he was the owner of a parcel of
unregistered land containing an area of approximately 8,573 square meters situated in
Barrio Olo, Municipality of Mangatarem, Pangasinan, having acquired the same from the
former owner, Pelagia Vegilia, as evidenced by a deed of sale executed by the latter in his
favor on January 31, 1955 that appellants had been asserting adversary rights over said land
and disturbing his possession thereof.
 Appellants' answer denied the material allegations of the complaint and alleged, as
affirmative defense, they were the owners of the land in question, having acquired it by
inheritance from the late Santiago Apostol, husband and father of appellants Espiritu and
Apostol respectively; that said deceased bought the property from Mariano Vegilia on June
3, 1934, as evidenced by the deed of sale , who, in turn, had acquired it from his niece,
Pelagia Vegilia, on May 26, 1932, by virtue of the deed of sale.
 The present appeal depends entirely upon the validity of the Deed of Sale allegedly
executed by Pelagia Vegilia in favor of Mariano Vegilia, and of the Deed of Sale allegedly
executed by the latter in favor of Santiago Apostol. If both are valid, appellant's contention
that they have a better right than that the claimed by appellee would seem to be meritorious
in the light of the facts of the case and the provisions of Article 1544 of the New Civil
Code, it not being disputed that the Deed of Sale in favor of appellee was registered under
the provision of Act. 3344 on June 16, 1955, while Exhibits 1 and 2 were similarly
registered eleven days before.

Issue:
 Who has better right in the property in Pangasinan, when there are two deed of sale that
was produced?

Ruling:
 Valerio.
 Espiritu might have the better right for property since the deed of sale was signed and
issued before Valerio’s deed of sale. However, since it was proven falsified, then Espiritu
lost her right to own the land.
 The one who wrote the name Anselmo Vegilia is the very one who wrote the name Pelagia
Vegilia; and from said Exh. "1", it is apparent also that Anselmo Vegilia could not have
written the name Anselmo Vegilia in Exh. "1" for the simple reason that it has been certified
 by the Notary Public that said Anselmo Vegilia is physically incapable (inutil
physicamente), and the other factor which leads this Court to believe that Exh. "1" has been
falsified is the apparent difference of the ink used in writing the names of Pelagia Vegilia
and Anselmo Vegilia from the ink used by the other persons who signed in Exh. "1”
 Apparent fact that the names Pelagia Vegilia and Anselmo Vegilia must have been written
in a much later date than the other names appearing in said Exh. "1". With respect to Exh.
"2", the denial Mariano Vegilia as to his having purchased the land in question from Pelagia
Vegilia is enough for this Court to disregard "2". But this Court further takes into account
the fact the names Mariano Vegilia and Jose B. Aviles appearing in said Exh. "2" must
have been written by only one man.

Note:
 Exhibit A – Deed of Sale that was registred under the name of Valerio
 Exhibit 1 – Deed of Sale allegedly executed by Pelagia Vegilia in favor of Mariano Vegilia
 Exhibit 2 – Deed of Sale allegedly executed by the latter in favor of Santiago Apostol.