Vda. de Ouano vs.
Republic
G.R. NO. 168770, 9 FEBRUARY 2011
FACTS:
1. In 1949, the National Air ort !or oration "NA!#, $!IAA%&
re'e(e&&or a)en(* +r&+e'a ro)ra toe- an'the ah+) Air ort in !e/+
!it*.
2. A& an a&&+ran(e ro the )o ern ent, there i& a ro i&e oreo
re +r(ha&e o &ai' ro ert* &o lon) a& ah+) (ea&e& it& o eration or
tran& er it& o eration to $a(tan !e/+ Air ort.
3. o e o5ner& re +&e' to &ell , an' that the !i il Aerona+ti(&
A' ini&tration ile' a (o laint or the e- ro riation o &ai'
ro ertie& or the e- an&ion o the ah+) Air ort.
4. he trial(o+rt then 'e(lare' &ai' ro ertie& to /e+&e' + onthe e- an&ion o &ai'
ro e(t& an' or'er or +&t (o en&ation to the lan' o5ner&, at the &a e
ti e 'ire(te' the latter to tran&er(erit(ateor o5ner&hi or title in the na e o the lainti .
. At the en' o 1991, ah+) Air ort (o letel* (ea&e' it& o erati on 5hile
the $a(tan !e/+ air ort o ene' to a((o o'ate in(o in) an' o+t)oin)
(o er(ial li)ht&.
6. hi& then ro te' the lan' o5ner& to 'e an' or the re(on e*na(e o
&ai' ro ertie& /ein) e- ro riate' /* the trial (o+rt +n'er the o5er o
e inent 'o ain. :en(e the&e t5o (on&oli'ate' (a&e&ari&e.
7. In G.R. No. 168812 $!IAA i& here/* or'ere' /* (o+rt to re(on e*
&ai' ro ertie& to the lan' o5ner& l+& attorne*%& ee an' (o&t o &+it,
5hile in G.R. No. 168770, the R ! r+le' in
a or o the etitioner& Oa+no& an' a)ain&t the $!IAA or the
re(on e*na(e o their ro ertie& /+t 5a& a eale' /* the lateran' the earlier
'e(i&ion 5a& re er&e', the (a&e 5ent + to the
!A /+t the !A a ir e' the re er&e' 'e(i&ion o the R !.
ISSUE:
• ho+l' $!IAA re(on e* the lan'& to etitioner&; YE
HELD:
henotionthatthe)o ern ent iae- ro riation ro(ee'in)&a(<+ire&
+nre&tri(te' o5ner&hi o er or a ee &i le title to the (o ere' lan' i& no lon)er tena/le.
E- ro riate' lan'& &ho+l' /e 'i erentiate' ro a
ie(e o lan', o5ner&hi o 5hi(h 5a& a/&ol+tel* tran& erre' /* 5a* o an
+n(on'itional +r(ha&e an' &ale (ontra(t reel* entere' /* t5o
artie&, one 5itho+t o/li)ation to /+* an' the other 5itho+t the '+t* to &ell. In that (a&e,
(ne*ane(or the ee &i le (on(e t reall* (o e& into la*. here i& reall* no o((a&ion to a l* the
= ee &i le (on(e t> i the tran& er i& (on'itional.
The a!in" o# a p$iva e land in e%p$op$ia ion p$oceedin"s is al&a's
condi ioned on i s con inued devo ion o i s public pu$pose . Once
he pu$pose is e$(ina ed o$ pe$e(p o$il' abandoned, then the
or er o5ner, i he &o 'e&ire& ) (a' see! i s $eve$sion sub*ec o#cou$se o he
$e u$n a he ve$' leas o# he *us co(pensa ion
$eceived.
In e- ro riation, the ri ate o5ner i& 'e ri e' o ro ert* a)ain&t hi& 5ill. he
(anda o$' $e+ui$e(en o# due p$ocess o+)ht to /e &tri(tl*
ollo5e' &+(h that the &tate +&t &ho5, at the ini + , a )en+ine nee', an e-
a(tin) +/li( +r o&e to ta?e ri ate ro ert*, the +r o&e to /e & e(i i(all* alle)e' or
lea&t rea&ona/l* 'e'+(i/le ro the (o laint.
,ublic use) as an e(inen do(ain concep , ha& no5 a(<+ire' an e%pansive
(eanin" to in(l+'e an* +&e that i& o =+&e +lne&&, +tilit*, ora'anta)e,or 5hat i& ro'+(ti e o
)eneral /ene it @o the +/li( .> I the )en+ine +/li( ne(e&&it* the er* rea&on or
(on'ition a& it 5ere
allo5in), at the ir&t in&tan(e, the e- ro riation o a ri ate lan' (ea&e& or
'i&a ear&, then there i& no ore (o)ent oint or the
)o ern ent%& retention o the e- ro riate' lan'. he &a e le)al &it+ation &ho+l' hol'
i the)o ern ent'e ote&the ro ert*toanother
+/li( +&e er* +(h 'i erent ro the ori)inal or 'e iate& ro the 'e(lare' +r o&e to
/ene it another ri ate er&on. It ha& /een &ai' that the 'ire(t +&e /* the &tate o it&
o5er to o/li )e lan'o5ner& to reno+n(e their ro'+(ti e o&&e&&ion to another
(itiCen, 5ho 5ill +&e it
re'o inantl* or that (itiCen%& o5n ri ate )ain, i& o en&i e to o+rla5&.
he )o ern ent (annot la+&i/l* ?ee the ro ert* it e- ro riate' in an* anner it
lea&e& an' in the ro(e&& 'i&honor the +') ent oe-roriaton. A (on'e nor &ho+l'
(o it to +&e the ro ert*
+r&+ant to the +r o&e &tate' in the etition or e- ro riation, ailin) 5hi(h it &ho+l'
ile another etition or the ne5 +r o&e. I not, then it
/ehoo e& the(on'e nor toret+rnthe&ai' ro ert*toit& ri ate o5ner, i the latter &o
'e&ire&.
:en(e ) e+ui ' and *us ice de(and he $econve'ance b' -CIAA o#
he li i"a ed lands in +ues ion o he Ouanos and Inocians. In he sa(e o!en)
*us ice and #ai$ pla' also dic a e ha he Ouanos and Inocian $e u$n o -
CIAA &ha he' $eceived as *us co(pensa ion #o$ he e%p$op$ia ion o#
hei$ $espec ive p$ope$ ies l+& le)al intere&t to /e (o +te' ro 'e a+lt, 5hi(h
in thi& (a&e &ho+l' r+n
ro the ti e $!IAA (o lie& 5ith the re(on e*an(e o/li)ation.