CASE 2018-0025: ROBUSTUM AGRICULTURAL CORPORATION VS DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM AND LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES (G.R. NO. 221484, 03 DEC 2018, PERALTA, J) (SUBJECT/S: JURISDICTION OF DAR) (BRIEF TITLE: ROBUSTUM AGRICULTURAL CORPORATION VS DAR AND LAND BANK)
DISPOSITIVE:
“WHEREFORE, premises considered, the instant appeal is DENIED. The Orders dated June 11, 2015 and September 28, 2015 of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 69, of Silay City in Civil Case No. 2915-69, insofar as they effectively dismissed the petition for quieting of title and declaratory relief filed by petitioner Robustum Agricultural Corporation, are AFFIRMED.
SO ORDERED.”
SUBJECTS/DOCTRINES/DIGEST:
PETITIONER QUESTIONS THE VALIDITY OF THE NOTICE OF COVERAGE ISSUED BY DAR. HE FILED AT RTC A PETITION FOR QUIETING OF TITLE AND DECLARATORY RELIEF. WAS HIS ACTION PROPER?
NO. IT IS DAR AND NOT RTC WHICH HAS JURISDICTION OVER THE CASE. THE NOTICE OF COVERAGE IS PART OF THE POWER OF DAR TO IMPLEMENT LAND REFORM.
“The grant of authority upon the DAR to conclude a “proceeding involving the implementation of the [agrarian reform law}” pending as of June 30, 2014 under Section 30 of RA No. 9700, like any statutory grant of authority, must be deemed to include all such powers, even those not expressly stated, that are necessary to effectuate the granted authority.40
This construction is justified by the doctrine of necessary implication: 41 No statute can be enacted that can provide all the details involved in its application. There is always an omission that may not meet a particular situation. What is thought, at the time of enactment, to be an allembracing legislation may be inadequate to provide for the unfolding events of the future. So-called gaps in the law develop as the law is enforced.”
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“A petition to lift the notice of coverage under the cited regulation is clearly the proper remedial forum whereby an aggrieved landowner can raise issues contesting the validity or efficacy of a notice of coverage. This, for all intents and purposes, is the remedy that petitioner should have availed of.
Since the sole question raised in the petition a quo is really only an agrarian reform matter that arose from an on-going proceeding for compulsory land acquisition and distribution, jurisdiction to resolve the same – as is the case for the main proceeding itself – must rest too with the DAR. As already pointed out, the authority given to the DAR under Section 30 of RA No. 9700 to conclude any agrarian reform proceeding pending as of June 30, 2014, by necessity, includes an authority for the same to continue exercising its quasi-judicial powers under Section 50 of RA No. 6657 with respect to any agrarian reform matter or controversy that may arise in such proceeding.”
WHAT IS THIS DOCTRINE OF NECESSARY IMPLICATION?
“The doctrine states that what isimplied in a statute is as much a part thereof as that which is expressed. Every statute is understood, by implication, to contain all such provisions as may be necessary to effectuate its object and purpose, or to make effective rights, powers, privileges or jurisdiction which it grants, including all such collateral and subsidiary consequences as may be airly and logically inferred from its terms. Ex necessitate legis. And every statutory grant of power, right or privilege is deemed to include all incidental power, right or privilege. This is so because the greater includes the lesser, expressed in the maxim, in eo plus sit, simper inest et minus.”
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