G.R. No.

206484, June 29, 2016

DEPAR
DEPARTMENT
TMENT OF TRANSPOR
TRANSPORTTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
COMMUNICATIONS (DOTC,
(DOTC, PETITIONER,
!S. SPOUSES !ICENTE A"ECINA AND MARIA C#EOFE A"ECINA, RESPONDENTS.

F$%&'

Re')on
e')on*en
*en&& ')ou'e
')ou'e' ' !+%en
!+%en&e
&e $n* M$+$
M$+$ C-eoe
C-eoe A/e%+n
A/e%+n$$ (e')
(e')on*
on*en&
en&''
'')o
)ou'e
u'e'
'
A/e%+n$ $e &e e+'&ee* o3ne' o 5e )$%e-' o -$n* +n S+&+o P$-&+, "$+o S&$.
Ro'$, Jo'e P$n$n+/$n, C$7$+ne' No&e. Te )o)e&+e' $e %o5ee* / T$n'e
Ce&+%$&e' o T+&-e (TCT No'. T2:094, T2:09:, T2:096, T2:09;, $n* T2:098.

In Fe/u$ 199<, &e DOTC $3$*e* D++&e- Te-e%o77un+%$&+on' P+-+))+ne', In%.

(D++&e- $ %on&$%& o &e 7$n$e7en&, o)e$&+on, 7$+n&en$n%e, $n* *e5e-o)7en&
o $ Re+on$- Te-e%o77un+%$&+on' De5e-o)7en& Po=e%& (RTDP un*e &e N$&+on$-
 Te-e)one
 Te-e)one Po$7,
Po$7, P$'e
P$'e I, T$n%e
T$n%e 1 (NTPI1
(NTPI1

#$&e on, &e 7un+%+)$-+& o Jo'e P$n$n+/$n, C$7$+ne' No&e, *on$&e* $ one
&ou'$n* &3o un*e* (1,200 '>u$e7e&e )$%e- o -$n* &o &e DOTC o &e
+7)-
+7)-e7
e7en
en&$
&$&+
&+on
on o &e&e RDTP
RDTP +n &e
&e 7un+
7un+%+
%+)$
)$-+
-+&
&.. ?o3e
?o3e5e
5e,
, &e
&e 7un+
7un+%+
%+)$
)$-+
-+&
&
eoneou'- +n%-u*e* )o&+on' o &e e')on*en&'@ )o)e& +n &e *on$&+on. Pu'u$n&
&o &e F#A',
F#A', D++&e
D++&e-- %on'&
%on'&u%
u%&e*
&e* $ &e-e)
&e-e)one
one e%$
e%$n ne
e on &e )o)e
)o)e&
& 3+%
3+%
en%o$%e* on &e )o)e&+e' o &e e')on*en& ')ou'e'

On A)+- 29, 200<, &e e')on*en& ')ou'e' 'en& $ n$- *e7$n* -e&&e &o /o& &e
DOTC $n* D++&e- &o 5$%$&e &e )e7+'e' $n* &o )$ un)$+* en&*$7$e' +n &e
$7oun& o one 7+--+on &3o un*e* &ou'$n* )e'o' (P1,200,000.00. Ne+&e &e
DOTC no D++&e- %o7)-+e* 3+& &e *e7$n*.

 Te RTC e-* &$& $' &e -$3u- o3ne' o &e )o)e&+e',
)o)e&+e', &e e')on*en&
e')on*en& ')ou'e'
en=oe* &e +& &o u'e $n* &o )o''e'' &e7  +&' &$& 3ee 5+o-$&e* / &e
DOTC@' un$u&o+Be* en&, %on'&u%&+on, $n* eu'$- &o 5$%$&e. Te RTC o*ee* &e
De)$&7en&  $' $ /u+-*e +n /$* $+& &o oe+& &e +7)o5e7en&' $n* 5$%$&e &e
)o)e&+e' $n* (2 $3$*e* &e ')ou'e' 3+& P1,200,000.00 $' $%&u$- *$7$e',
P200,0
P200,000.
00.00
00 $' 7o$-
7o$- *$7$
*$7$e',e', $n* P200,0
P200,000.
00.00
00 $' ee7)
ee7)-$
-$
 *$7$
*$7$e'
e' )-u'
)-u'
$&&one@' ee' $n* %o'&' o 'u+&, Te Cou& o A))e$-' $7e* &e RTC' *e%+'+on.

?en%e &+' )e&+&+on.

I''ue

e&e &e DOTC' %on&en&+on &$& +n'&e$* o $--o3+n e%o5e o &e )o)e&,
&e %$'e 'ou-* /e e7$n*e* &o &e RTC o *e&e7+n$&+on o =u'& %o7)en'$&+on $'
7e+&
Ru-+n

 Te P+-+))+ne' e%on+Be' &e 5+&$- o-e o +no7$&+on $n* %o77un+%$&+on +n n$&+on
/u+-*+n.A' $ %on'e>uen%e, 3e $5e $*o)&e* $ )o-+% en5+on7en& &$& $')+e' o
&e u-- *e5e-o)7en& o %o77un+%$&+on' +n$'&u%&ue &o $%+-+&$&e &e o3 o 
+no7$&+on +n&o, ou& o, $n* $%o'' &e %oun&. To &+' en*, &e DOTC $' /een
7$n*$&e* 3+& &e )o7o&+on, *e5e-o)7en&, $n* eu-$&+on o *e)en*$/-e $n*
%oo*+n$&e* ne&3o' o %o77un+%$&+on.

 Te DOTC en%o$%e* on &e e')on*en&'@ )o)e&+e' 3en +& %on'&u%&e* &e -o%$-
&e-e)one e%$ne +n D$e&, C$7$+ne' No&e. Te e%$ne 3$' )$& o &e RTDP
)u'u$n& &o &e N$&+on$- Te-e)one Po$7. e $5e no *ou/& &$& 3en &e DOTC
%on'&u%&e* &e en%o$%+n '&u%&ue' $n* 'u/'e>uen&- en&ee* &e F#A 3+&
D++&e- o &e+ 7$+n&en$n%e, +& 3$' %$+n ou& $ 'o5ee+n un%&+on. Teeoe, 3e
$ee 3+& &e DOTC@' %on&en&+on &$& &e'e $e $%&' =ue +7)e++ &$& $-- 3+&+n &e
%-o$ o '&$&e +77un+&.

 Te Con'&+&u&+on +*en&+e' &e -+7+&$&+on' &o &e $3e'o7e $n* ne$-+7+&-e'' )o3e'
o &e S&$&e. C+e $7on &e'e -+7+&$&+on' $e &e )+n%+)-e' &$& no )e'on '$-- /e
*e)+5e* o -+e, -+/e&, o )o)e& 3+&ou& *ue )o%e'' o -$3 $n* &$& )+5$&e
)o)e& '$-- no& /e &$en o )u/-+% u'e 3+&ou& =u'& %o7)en'$&+on.Te'e
-+7+&$&+on' $e en'+ne* +n no -e'' &$n &e "+-- o R+&' &$& u$$n&ee' &e
%+&+Ben )o&e%&+on o7 $/u'e / &e S&$&e. Con'e>uen&-, ou -$3' e>u+e &$& &e
S&$&e@' )o3e o e7+nen& *o7$+n '$-- /e ee%+'e* &ou e)o)+$&+on
)o%ee*+n' +n %ou&. ene5e )+5$&e )o)e& +' &$en o )u/-+% u'e, +& /e%o7e'
&e 7+n+'&e+$- *u& o &e %on%ene* o%e o $en% &o +n+&+$&e e)o)+$&+on
)o%ee*+n'. " ne%e''$ +7)-+%$&+on, &e -+n o $ %o7)-$+n& o e)o)+$&+on +'
$ 3$+5e o S&$&e +77un+&.I &e DOTC $* %oe%&- o--o3e* &e eu-$ )o%e*ue
u)on *+'%o5e+n &$& +& $* en%o$%e* on &e e')on*en&'@ )o)e&, +& 3ou-*
$5e +n+&+$&e* e)o)+$&+on )o%ee*+n' +n'&e$* o +n'+'&+n on +&' +77un+& o7
'u+&. Te )e&+&+one' 3ou-* no& $5e $* &o e'o& &o -+n +&' %o7)-$+n& o
e%on5e$n%e.

 Te ee%+'e o e7+nen& *o7$+n e>u+e' $ enu+ne ne%e''+& &o &$e &e )o)e&
o )u/-+% u'e $n* &e %on'e>uen& )$7en& o =u'& %o7)en'$&+on. Te )o)e& +'
e5+*en&- /e+n u'e* o $ )u/-+% )u)o'e. ?o3e5e, 3e $-'o no&e &$& &e
e')on*en& ')ou'e' 3+--+n- en&ee* +n&o $ -e$'e $ee7en& 3+& D++&e- o &e u'e
o &e 'u/=e%& )o)e&+e'.

I +n &e u&ue, &e $%&u$- %+%u7'&$n%e' 'ou-* %$ne $n* &e e')on*en&' eu'e
&o %on&+nue &e -e$'e, &en &e DOTC 7$ +n+&+$&e e)o)+$&+on )o%ee*+n'.