AnearthquakewhichtookplaceinthePhilippineIslandsonJune3,1863,whichwas

thenundertheSpanishDominionsthatdevastatedlotofcivilians.Spainpaid$400,000
intothetreasuryofthePhilippineIslandsforthereliefofthosedamagedbyan
earthquake.
SubsequenttheretoandonOctober6ofthatyear,acentralreliefboardwasappointed,by
authorityoftheKingofSpain,todistributethemoneysthusvoluntarilycontributed
Afterathoroughinvestigationandconsideration,thereliefboardallotted$365,703.50to
thevarioussufferersnamedinitsresolution,datedSeptember22,1866.Therewaslater
distributed,thesumof$30,299.65,leavingabalanceofS365,403.85fordistribution.The
governmentusedthemoneyassuchbut$80,000wasleftuntouchedandwasthus
investedtoMontedePiedadbank,whichwasinturninvestedasjewelries,equivalentto
thesameamount.UponthepetitionofthegoverningbodyoftheMontedePiedad,dated
February1,1833,thePhilippineGovernment,byorderdatedthe1stofthatmonth,
directeditstreasurertoturnovertotheMontedePiedadthesumof$80,000oftherelief
fundininstallmentsof$20,000each.
AttorneyGeneralandinrepresentationoftheGovernmentofthePhilippineIslands,"the
$80.000,togetherwithinterest,forthebenefitofthosepersonsortheirheirsappearingin
thelistofnamespublishedintheOfficialGazetteinstitutedonMay3,1912,bythe
GovernmentofthePhilippineIslands,representedbytheInsularTreasurer,andafterdue
trial,judgmentwasenteredinfavoroftheplaintiffforthesumof$80,000goldorits
equivalentinPhilippinecurrency,togetherwithlegalinterestfromFebruary28,1912,
andthecostsofthecause.TheMontedePiedadthencontendedthatthepresent
PhilippineGovernmentcouldntfilesuitonthegroundthattheobligationoftheformer
waswipedoutwhentherewasachangeofsovereignty.
WhetherornotthegovernmentofthePhilippineIslandshastheabilitytofileasuit
againsttheMontedePiedadfortherecoveryofthesaidamount
YES
Whenthiscountryachieveditsindependence,theprerogativesofthecrowndevolved
uponthepeopleoftheStates.Andthispowerstillremainswiththemexceptsofactas
theyhavedelegatedaportionofittotheFederalGovernment.Thesovereignwillismade
knowntousbylegislativeenactment.TheStateasasovereign,istheparenspatriae.
Inthiscountry,thelegislatureorgovernmentoftheState,asparenspatriae,hastheright
toenforceallcharitiesofpublicnature,byvirtueofitsgeneralsuperintendingauthority
overthepublicinterests,wherenootherpersonisentrustedwithit.