The City of Cebu v. Spouses Apolonio

Summary

The City of Cebu expropriated land from spouses Dedamo for road construction, leading to a dispute over the proper timing for determining just compensation. The parties initially agreed to accept a commissioner-based valuation, but the City later contested the amount, arguing that compensation should be based on property values at the time of filing the complaint rather than actual taking. The Supreme Court affirmed the lower courts' decisions, ruling that under Section 19 of R.A. 7160, just compensation must be determined at the time of actual taking of the property, not when the complaint was filed. The Court also applied the doctrine of equitable estoppel, noting that the City had voluntarily agreed to the commissioners' process and could not subsequently challenge the valuation. This decision clarifies the temporal aspect of just compensation determination under the Local Government Code and reinforces the binding nature of agreements between parties in eminent domain proceedings.