LAND TITLES & DEEDS | REPUBLIC V. GONZALES
REPUBLIC V. GONZALES
FACTS
The case principally concerns
Chua Kim @ Uy Teng Be, who became a naturalized Filipino citizen, taking his oath
as such, on January 7, 1977.1 He was the adopted son of Gregorio Reyes Uy Un.
The case involved three (3)
parcels of land, which were among those included in Land Registration Cases
Numbered 405 and 14817 of the Court of First Instance of Quezon Province.
Lots 1 and 2 were sold by the
owners, the MaƱosca Spouses, to Gregorio Reyes. Lot 3 was also sold by the
Marquez Spouses to Gregorio Reyes Uy Un.
Subsequently, Gregorio Reyes
Uy Un died, and his adopted son, Chua Kim @ Uy Teng, took possession of the
property.
ISSUE
Whether the the sale for is
void for alleged violation of the Constitution prohibiting the sale of land to
aliens.
RULING
No.
The court held that if the ban
on aliens from acquiring not only agricultural but also urban lands, as construed
by this Court in the Krivenko case, is to preserve the nation’s land for future
generations of Filipinos, that aim or purpose would not be thwarted but
achieved by making lawful the acquisition of real estate by aliens who became
Filipino citizens by naturalization.
Here the court held that the acquisition by Chua Kim of Philippine citizenship should foreclose any further debate regarding the title to the property in controversy, in line with this Court’s rulings relative to persons similarly situated.
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