G.R. No. 200772, February 17, 2021.

FACTS:

In 1976, Paciencia Asuncion (Paciencia) and her children  filed an application for original registration of title over nine parcels of land located in Bambang, Bulakan, Bulacan. They claimed the simple ownership of the aforementioned lands by inheritance, accretion, and open, continuous, exclusive, and notorious possession under color of title for at least 30 years.

The application was opposed by petitioner Republic of the Philippines, on the ground that the lands covered by the application were unclassified forest lands within the public domain; and that certain parts of the lands covered by the application belong to Molina-Enriquez group and their predecessors-in-interest.

Due to several postponements and repeated motions to reset filed by the parties’ counsels, the case did not progress until April 29, 1986, when Paciencia and her children moved to amend their application to include another lot. In 1989, Paciencia died;  and was substituted by her children. The Asuncions entered into a compromise agreement with the Molina-Enriquez group whereby the former withdrew certain parcels of land from their application in exchange for the withdrawal of the latter’s opposition thereto.