HEIRS OF SPOUSES TEOFILO RETER AND ELIZA RETERTA V.

SPOUSES
LORENZO MORES AND VIRGINIA MORES

FACTS:

Petitioners, HEIRS OF SPOUSES TEOFILO M. RETERTA and ELISA RETERTA,

discovered that their father had purportedly executed an affidavit whereby he had waived
his rights, interests, and participation in the land and by virtue of the affidavit, the land
was sold in favor of the respondent, Lorenzo Mores, to whom a Transfer Certificate of
Title had been issued.

Hence, the petitioners commenced an action for quieting of title and reconveyance in the
RTC claiming that they were the true and real owners of the parcel of land that they have
inherited from their father who had been the grantee of the land by virtue of his
occupation and cultivation and by their exclusive, notorious, and continuous possession
of the land for more than 30 years. The respondents filed a motion to dismiss claiming
that the RTC did not have jurisdiction over the case because the property in question was
a Friar Land and not a land of public domain. Thus, its administration and disposition
should be under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Bureau of Public Lands by virtue of
Section 12 and Section 18 of Act No. 1120.

Judgment was rendered by the RTC in favor of the respondents. CA also rendered
judgment in favor of the respondents.

ISSUE:

Whether or not the RTC should have jurisdiction of the case.

HELD:

The SC reversed the decision of the CA and held that the RTC should have jurisdiction of
the case because the Bureau of Publics Lands, now Land Management Bureau (LMB),
ceased to have jurisdiction over the Friar Land after it has been disposed of in favor of a
private person and title duly issues in the latters name. Moreover, it is stated in Section 19
of BP 129 that the RTC should have exclusive and original jurisdiction in all civil actions
which involve the title to, or possession of, real property, or any interest therein,
where the assessed value of the property involved exceeds Twenty thousand pesos
(P20,000.00) or for civil actions in Metro Manila, where such value exceeds Fifty
thousand pesos (P50,000.00) except actions for forcible entry into and unlawful detainer
of lands or buildings, original jurisdiction over which is conferred upon the Metropolitan
Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts.