J. M. TUASON & CO., INC., JOSE M. TUASON, NICASIO A. TUASON, TERESA TUASON, CELSO S. TUASON and SEVERO A. TUASON, petitioners, vs. HON. HERMINIO C. MARIANO, Presiding Judge of the Court of First Instance of Rizal MANUELA AQUIAL, MARIA AQUIAL, Spouses JOSE M. CORDOVA and SATURNINA C. CORDOVA, respondents ; G.R. No. L-33140 October 23, 1978

RATIONALE:

principle of stare decisis et non quieta movere - follow past precedents and do not disturb what has been settled

FACTS:

1. OCT No. 735 covering an area of 877(879) hectares of Santa Mesa and 1,625 hectares of D Estates of the Tuason is registered under the name of hereins petitioners Tuason. 

2. October 1, 1965: Manuela and Maria Aquial filed a complaint praying that they be declared as the owners of a parcel of land located at Balara, Marikina, Rizal (now Quezon City) and bounded on the north by Sapang Mapalad, on the south by the land of Eladio, Tiburcio on the east by Sapang Kolotkolotan, and on the west by Sapang Kuliat with an area of 383 quiñones. This parcel of land was covered under OCT No. 735 but the 383 quiñones was allegedly acquired by their father by means of a Spanish title issued to him on 10 May 1877. 

3. Aquials alleged that Tuasons had illegally entered their land and they discovered it had been illegally or erroneously included in the OCT No. 375 registered under the Tuasons' name pursuant to a decree in Case No. 7681 issued on 06 July 1915. 

4. Plaintiffs Aquial pray that OCT No. 375 and other titles derived therefrom be declared VOID due to irregularities in the land registration proceedings. 

5. Tuasons filed a motion to dismiss.

6. 25 January 1967: Sps. Cordova who had bought 11 hectares from plaintiffs Aquial were allowed to intervene in the case.

7. September 1970: CFI Rizal ordered production of OCT No. 375 and other titles derived therefrom.

8. Tuasons filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition and for the case's dismissal. Preliminary injunction was issued.

ISSUE:

W/N validity of OCT No. 735 can be questioned at this late hour by Aquials and Cordovas.

RULING:

NO. OCT No. 735's validity can no longer be questioned.

Following the principle of stare decisis et non quieta movere (follow past precedents and do not disturb what has been settled), it had already been ruled in 1965 in previous civil cases nos. 3621, 3622, and 3623 concerning the same OCT No. 735 that it is valid. 

The principle of stare decisis et non queita movere (follow past precedents and do not disturb what has been settled) shows that respondents Aquials and Cordovas cannot maintain their civil action (civil case no. 8493) without eroding the long settled ruling of the courts that OCT No. 735 is valid and no longer open to attack. 

It is against public policy that matters already decided on the merits be relitigated again and again, consuming the court's time and energies at the expense of other litigants: Interest rei publicae ut finis sit litium." (Varsity Hills, Inc. vs. Navarro, supra).

SC DECISION: Petition for certiorari and prohibition to be MERITORIOUS, the trial court is directed to DISMISS Civil Case No. 8943 with prejudice and without costs. No costs.