G.R. No. L-1584; April 2, 1948
EMILIA TEOXON, SALVADOR TEOXON y FRANCISCO D. BOAYES (alias TURKO), petitioners,

vs.
FELIX B. PANIS, Justice of the Peace of Caramoan, and TRINIDAD SEÑAR DE BENITEZ, respondents.

FACTS

On December 15, 1941, Salvador Teoxon obtained P463 from Trinidad Señar Vda. de Benitez to redeem a piece of land previously sold with a pacto de retro by him and his mother. On February 27, 1942, after redeeming the land, Salvador Teoxon executed a document ceding possession of the land to Benitez, stipulating it could be redeemed at any time for P463. On June 29, 1943, Emilia Teoxon (wife of Francisco Boayes) redeemed the land from Benitez using Japanese military notes, but executed a promissory note (Exhibit A) stating that if the Japanese money became valueless, she would change it into Philippine currency. As the Japanese currency later became worthless, Francisco Boayes, confirming his wife’s promise, executed another document on November 6, 1945 (Exhibit B), ceding possession of the land back to Benitez until he could exchange the P463 in Japanese notes for legal Philippine currency. On May 10, 1947, the petitioners (Teoxon and Boayes) forcibly took possession of the land. Benitez filed an action for detentacion (forcible entry) in the Justice of the Peace Court of Caramoan, seeking restitution of possession unless the petitioners paid her P463 in legal currency. The petitioners moved to dismiss, arguing lack of jurisdiction and that the debt had already been paid with the Japanese money. The motion was denied, prompting this original action for certiorari.

ISSUE

Whether the Justice of the Peace Court has jurisdiction over the action for detentacion (forcible entry) filed by respondent Benitez.

RULING

Yes, the Justice of the Peace Court has jurisdiction. The Court held that the redemption made on June 29, 1943, with Japanese military notes was conditional, as evidenced by the promissory note (Exhibit A) to replace the money if it became valueless. Since the Japanese currency became worthless, and the petitioners, through Francisco Boayes, subsequently agreed in Exhibit B to cede possession of the land to Benitez until they could exchange the Japanese notes for legal Philippine currency, the conditional redemption was not completed. The petitioners failed to fulfill their promise to convert the currency. Therefore, Benitez was entitled to possession of the land under the terms of Exhibit B. The act of the petitioners in forcibly taking possession of the land within one year gave rise to an action for detentacion, which falls under the exclusive original jurisdiction of the Justice of the Peace Court. The petition was denied with costs against the petitioners.

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