Felix Ting Ho, Jr. v. Vicente Teng Gui

Summary

Siblings sought partition of land and buildings inherited from Chinese citizen father Felix Ting Ho. The Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeals ruling that the land belonged exclusively to eldest brother Vicente Teng Gui, who validly acquired it through government patent, not inheritance. The constitutional prohibition against alien land ownership is absolute, precluding even implied trusts. However, the buildings erected on the land were found to be part of the parents' estate through simulated sales transactions designed to circumvent the alien ownership restriction. The Court rejected the trial court's assumption that these simulated sales constituted donations, finding no positive proof of donative intent. Petitioners were awarded four-fifths share of the buildings while Vicente Teng Gui retained one-fifth share plus exclusive ownership of the underlying land.