Ibonilla v. Province of Cebu

JESUS M. IBONILLA, et al.
petitioners,
vs.
PROVINCE OF CEBU, et al. respondents.
The Province of Cebu demanded the return of the 40 donated lots, on the
ground that the donation was void ab initio as the Cebu (Sudlon)
Agricultural School did not have the personality to be a donee of real
property.
G.R. No. 97463 June 26, 1992
GRIO-AQUINO, J.:
The petitioners (officials, faculty and employees of the Cebu [Sudlon]

Agricultural School, parents of the enrolled students, and various school
organizations) opposed the rescission of the donation. They filed an
action to quiet title to the lots.
Facts:
This is a petition for review on certiorari of the decision affirming the
decision of the Regional Trial Court of Cebu City which dismissed the
petitioners' complaint for Quieting of Title against the private and public
respondents.
In 1952, the use and usufruct of 40 parcels of land was granted to the
Cebu (Sudlon) Agricultural School. On March 18, 1960, the province
donated the lots to the school with a view to bringing about the
conversion of the Cebu (Sudlon) Agricultural School into a regional one,
subject to two (2) conditions, namely: (1) that if the School ceases to
operate, the ownership of the lots will automatically revert to the
Provincial Government of Cebu, and (2) that the School cannot alienate,
lease or encumber the properties.
Pursuant to BP Blg. 412, incorporating and consolidating as one school

system certain vocational schools in the Province of Cebu, the Cebu
(Sudlon) Agricultural School became an extension of the Cebu State
College of Agriculture an 1983.
Answering the complaint, the Province of Cebu alleged that the Deed of
Donation in favor of the School was null and void, and, as the Cebu
Sudlon Agricultural School ceased to exist and operate as such, the lots
should be reconveyed to the Province of Cebu which admittedly plans to
use them as a site for the residences of the Regional Trial Court Judges,
an NBI Drug Rehabilitation Center, and other government offices.
Moot and Academic

On March 10, 1989, the Province of Cebu filed a motion to dismiss the
action on the ground that it had become moot and academic because on
February 1, 1989, the Province of Cebu, represented by its Governor and
the Cebu State College of Science and Technology (CSCST),
represented by then DECS Secretary entered into a Memorandum of
Agreement over the subject parcels of land, allocating nineteen (19) lots
to the Province of Cebu, twenty three (23) lots to the school, and
reserving Lot No. 1033 for a national government center and DECS
regional office. The agreement was ratified.
Despite the agreement between the province and the school, the
petitioners refused to withdraw their suit.
On November 8, 1989, the trial court dismissed the complaint on the

ground that the plaintiffs, now petitioners, are not real parties in interest.
any injury that might warrant a grant of relief. Clearly, the finding of the
appellate court and the trial court that they are not real parties in interest
who may sue to quiet the title to the properties in question, is correct.
Only a real party in interest is allowed to prosecute and defend an action
in court (Sec. 2, Rule 3 of the Rules of Court).
The petitioners appealed to the Court of Appeals which, on February 8,

1991, affirmed the decision of the trial court.
Issue:
Whether or not the petitioners are real parties in intereset.
Held:
By "real party in interest" is meant such party who would be benefited or

injured by the judgment or entitled to the avails of the suit. . . . A real party
in interest-plaintiff is one who has a legal right, while a real party in
interest-defendant is one who has a correlative legal obligation whose act
or omission violates the legal right of the former, (Lee vs. Romillo, Jr., 161
SCRA 589.)
. . . And by real interest, is meant a present substantial interest, as
distinguished from a mere expectancy, or future, contingent, subordinate
or consequential interest (Garcia vs. David, 67 Phil. 279; Cited in Rules of
Court, Vol. I by Moran, p. 144 [1970 edition]).
No.
WHEREFORE, finding no reversible error in the decision of the Court of
Appeals, the petition for review is DENIED for lack of merit.
The Court have deliberated on the petition for review of that decision, but
failed to discover any cogent reason for setting it aside. The numerous
petitioners are admittedly not the owners of the lots in question. They do
not claim any interest in them that was violated, nor have they suffered
SO ORDERED.

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JESUS M. IBONILLA, et al.

G.R. No. 97463 June 26, 1992

The petitioners (officials, faculty and employees of the Cebu [Sudlon]

Pursuant to BP Blg. 412, incorporating and consolidating as one school

Moot and Academic

On November 8, 1989, the trial court dismissed the complaint on the

The petitioners appealed to the Court of Appeals which, on February 8,

By "real party in interest" is meant such party who would be benefited or

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