ISIDRO BAMBALAN Y PRADO v GERMAN MARAMBA and GENOVEVA MUERONG

30 January 1928 | R!ua"d#$% J.

&UI'( SUMMARY)
Bambalan executed a deed of sale in favor of Muerong regarding a piece of land registered under his name. Petitioner was still
a minor at the time of the sale. The SC held that the sale is void because of Bambalans minority at the time of the transaction.
He did not pretend to be of age which was also proven by the fact that the defendant was the one who purchased the plaintiffs
first cedula used in the ac!nowledgement of the document. Because there was no misrepresentation the ruling in Mercado v.
Espiritu does not apply.

*A'+S)
Plaintiff "sidro Bambalan is the registered owner #with a Torrens title$ of a parcel of land which he inherited from his father as
the latters sole and universal heir. He executed a deed of sale in favor of defendant %enoveva Muerong conveying ownership
upon the piece of land. &efendant presents proof of such transfer in a document dated '( )uly '*++. Petitioner asserts that the
document was signed out of intimidation by Muerong who threatened his mother Paula Prado with imprisonment. "t is said
that Paula and her husband ,icente -agera received a certain sum of money #disputed amount. +// or '0/$ from Muerong1
and the latter upon learning about the Torrens title issued in Petitioners name caused him to sign the document in 2uestion.
Petitioner was still a minor at the time of the alleged sale.

ISSUE)
345 the sale of the land is valid

,ELD)
5o the sale is void. The document supporting the existence of the sale is vitiated to the extent of being void for at the time
petitioner signed it he was still a !-nr and it does not appear that it was his real intention to sell the land. The ruling in
Mercado v. Espiritu d#. n/ a00"y in this case because his minority is well !nown to the purchaser as the defendant was the
one who purchased plaintiffs first cedula used in the ac!nowledgement of the document. Therefore estoppel cannot be
claimed against him as there was n !-.r#0r#.#n/a/-n as to his age.