[G.R. No. 130460.

September 23, 1999]

HERMINIO A. SIASOCO, SIXTO A. SIASOCO, AMPARO SIASOCO, ROSITA SIASOCO, and
RODOLFO A. SIASOCO, as the surviving heirs of DAVID SIASOCO, petitioners, vs.
JANUARIO N. NARVAJA, represented by ROSA NARVAJA-BALOG, respondent.
FACTS:
Respondent filed a complaint for specific performance against petitioners with the Housing and
Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) praying that petitioners accept payment of the balance of
the purchase price of Lots Nos. 29 and 30, Block 2 of the St. John Village, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
which he bought from petitioner Rodolfo who is one of the heirs of David Siocoso, registered
owners of said lots, and to execute the corresponding deed of absolute sale over the lots.
Judgment was rendered in favor of respondent. It was appealed by petitioners to the HLURB
Board of Commissioners. The appeal was dismissed for failure to prosecute. The Board ordered
the HLURB Arbiter to accept payment and to execute the deed of sale which was complied with
by the Arbiter. However, the transfer of the lots was not effected as petitioners refused to
surrender the owners duplicate certificates. Thus, respondent filed a petition with the trial court
to require petitioners to surrender the same. Petitioners moved to dismiss and suspend
proceedings on the ground that the trial court lack jurisdiction over the case. Both were denied
and the special civil action for certiorari filed with the Court of Appeals was dismissed. Hence,
this recourse.
ISSUE: WoN the RTC has jurisdiction over the case.
HELD: No, it does not have jurisdiction.
Executive Order No. 648, Section 8 (11), 1981, as amended by Executive Order No. 90 (1986),
the HLURB has the exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide xxx claims filed against project
owners, developers, dealers xxx or salesmen and over cases of specific performance. Hence,
the HLURB, not the trial court, has jurisdiction over complaints for specific performance filed
against subdivision developers to compel the latter to execute deeds of absolute sale and to
deliver certificates of titles to buyers.
In the instant case, respondent Narvaja properly filed his complaint for specific performance
against petitioner Rodolfo A. Siasoco with the HLURB, which eventually decided in his favor and
ordered its Arbiter, Alfredo Tan II, to execute, in behalf of petitioner Rodolfo A. Siasoco, a deed
of absolute sale over the lots in question in favor of respondent Narvaja and the Registrar of
Deeds to issue to the latter the corresponding certificates of title. Therefore, respondent Narvaja
should have filed his motion to require petitioner Rodolfo A. Siasoco to surrender the owners
duplicate certificates of title to the lots before the HLURB.