08/08/2025
BASAHON ๐ | SC JUNKS FINAL PLEA OF MARIANO HEIRS, NAGA WINS CITY HALL LAND CASE
Matapos an pirang dekadang pakikipaglaban sa prosesong ligal, pinal asin dapat utubon na an desisyon kan Korte Suprema sa pigkukuntestar na loteng pigo-okupar kan Naga City Hall compound sa J. Miranda Avenue, Barangay Concepcion Pequena, Naga.
Base sa notisya kan korte kan Mayo 6, 2025, dae na ini maako nin mga apela hale sa mga tagapagmana ninda Jose asin Helen Mariano, an orihinal na mga maysadiri kan limang ektaryang lote.
Ikinaogma asin ipinagpasalamat ni Alkalde Leni Robredo an resultang ini kan kaso na nagpapusog sa gobyerno kan ciudad bilang lehitimong maysadiri na kan lote. Huli kaini, makakabuwelo na sa mga planong pagpakarhay kan bilog na compound kabale an mismong city hall na nagsirbeng harong kan gobyerno lokal nin labi 70 taon.
SC junks final plea of Mariano heirs, Naga wins City Hall land case
The City Government of Naga has officially secured ownership of the five-hectare property where the City Hall compound stands, ending a decades-long legal dispute and paving the way for long-term development plansโbeginning with Mayor Leni Robredoโs initiative to reorganize and improve the entire compound.
In a notice dated May 6, 2025, the Supreme Court En Banc declared that it will no longer entertain further pleadings from the heirs of Jose Mariano and Helen S. Mariano, the original owners of the lot.
The High Courtโs decision is now final and executory, closing a legal chapter that began in 2003 and affirming the cityโs legal right to the land it has occupied since 1954.
City Legal Officer Atty. Angel Ojastro III, in a briefer to Mayor Robredo, emphasized that the city government can now proceed with development projects on the property without legal obstacles or the risk of Commission on Audit (COA) disallowance.
โThe bottom line is that the City of Naga has legal certainty of ownership over the City Hall compound,โ Ojastro said. โThis eliminates audit risks for infrastructure spending and provides a strong foundation for long-term planning.โ
With the legal battle now settled, Mayor Robredoโs plan to comprehensively improve the compound โ including organized and presentable parking areas, and the removal of insignificant structures and clutter that have long contributed to congestion and disorganization โ is further affirmed and strengthened.
The goal is to create au cleaner, more efficient, and people-friendly government center.
โThis legal victory represents far more than the resolution of a property dispute โ it affirms our cityโs sovereignty over the very foundation upon which we deliver essential public services to our constituents. The certainty provided by this final decision enables us to confidently invest in infrastructure improvements and development projects within our City Hall compound, ensuring better facilities for our citizens and more efficient government operations,โ the city mayor said.
The Supreme Courtโs ruling is rooted in the principle of inverse condemnation, recognizing that the cityโs continuous occupation of the land since 1954 constituted a legal taking for public use.
The High Court ruled:
โข The city retains possession of the propertyโno vacation required.
โข The city must pay just compensation based on property value as of August 16, 1954, with 6% annual interest until full payment.
โข Exemplary damages of โฑ1,000,000 are awarded to the Mariano heirs.
โข The case is remanded to RTC Branch 26 for determination of the compensation amount.
โข The prior orders for monthly rentals and eviction were deleted.
Mayor Robredo also extended the city governmentโs โheartfelt gratitude and deepest appreciationโ to Atty. Jose Anselmo Cadiz and Atty. Randall Tabayoyong, who served as lead counsels in the case, working closely with the City Legal Office throughout the litigation.
โYour collaborative efforts in handling the complex proceedings before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court have been instrumental in securing this landmark victory for our city and its people,โ Robredo wrote in her letter to the legal team.
โThe final decision conclusively establishes the City of Nagaโs rightful ownership of the five-hectare property that has served as our seat of government for over 70 years.โ
With legal ownership now secure, the Robredo administration is determined to maximize the compoundโs potentialโnot just by opening up space for vehicles and pedestrian access, but by reimagining the entire area as a functional, orderly, and dignified home for public service. | via Jason B. Neola
