Benguet Consolidated filed a motion to dismiss the eminent domain proceedings filed by the Republic of the Philippines regarding the expropriation of Benguet's mining claims for the establishment of a Philippine Military Academy training site. The court denied the motion, finding that the government's power of eminent domain overrides prior location and perfection of mining claims. It also approved the commissioners' report valuing just compensation at P7,522.46. While Benguet did not dispute the government's right to take the property, it argued this amount was too low. The Supreme Court upheld the lower court's findings, but added legal interest should be paid from time of occupation until payment.
Benguet Consolidated filed a motion to dismiss the eminent domain proceedings filed by the Republic of the Philippines regarding the expropriation of Benguet's mining claims for the establishment of a Philippine Military Academy training site. The court denied the motion, finding that the government's power of eminent domain overrides prior location and perfection of mining claims. It also approved the commissioners' report valuing just compensation at P7,522.46. While Benguet did not dispute the government's right to take the property, it argued this amount was too low. The Supreme Court upheld the lower court's findings, but added legal interest should be paid from time of occupation until payment.
Benguet Consolidated filed a motion to dismiss the eminent domain proceedings filed by the Republic of the Philippines regarding the expropriation of Benguet's mining claims for the establishment of a Philippine Military Academy training site. The court denied the motion, finding that the government's power of eminent domain overrides prior location and perfection of mining claims. It also approved the commissioners' report valuing just compensation at P7,522.46. While Benguet did not dispute the government's right to take the property, it argued this amount was too low. The Supreme Court upheld the lower court's findings, but added legal interest should be paid from time of occupation until payment.
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