G.R. No. 1244 : April 22, 1904
THE COMPAÑIA GENERAL DE TABACOS DE FILIPINAS, plaintiff-appellee, vs. MIGUEL TOPIÑO, ET AL., defendants-appellants.

FACTS:
The plaintiff, Compañia General de Tabacos de Filipinas, filed an action to recover possession of certain parcels of land held by the defendants, for their ejectment, and for damages. The plaintiff based its claim on recorded title deeds for the hacienda of San Luis y La Concepcion, within which perimeter the disputed lands were found. The defendants, in their defense, did not claim ownership in themselves but alleged that the lands belonged to other persons, namely Joaquin Guzman and Manuel Dalanidao. They also challenged the validity of the plaintiff’s original Spanish-grant titles. The trial court ruled in favor of the plaintiff.

ISSUE:
Whether the defendants, who are not claiming ownership in themselves but are merely challenging the plaintiff’s title, have a valid defense against the plaintiff’s action for recovery of possession based on its registered title.

RULING:
The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s judgment. The Court held that the plaintiff’s ownership, as evidenced by its duly registered titles, must be respected as long as the registration stands uncancelled by a final judgment. The defendants, not being parties bound by the original contract of sale between the Spanish Government and the plaintiff’s predecessors-in-interest, have no legal standing to annul those titles. Furthermore, their defense, which essentially consisted of alleging ownership in third parties, was insufficient to overcome the plaintiff’s registered ownership. Since the defendants did not present any title deeds of their own nor prove adverse possession sufficient to defeat the recorded titles, they had no right to retain possession of the property.