Materrco v. First Landlink Asia Development Corporation

Summary

This ejectment case arose from a landlord-tenant dispute where FLADC sought to evict MATERRCO from commercial premises in Masagana Citimall. The central issue was the authenticity of a written lease contract presented by MATERRCO versus FLADC's claim of a verbal agreement. The Metropolitan Trial Court found the written contract spurious and ruled the lease was month-to-month under Article 1687 of the Civil Code. After FLADC's September 1996 termination notice, MATERRCO's continued occupation became unlawful detainer. The Supreme Court affirmed all lower court decisions, establishing that ejectment courts may provisionally determine contract validity and other ancillary issues to resolve possession disputes. The case demonstrates that factual findings consistently made by multiple court levels based on substantial evidence are conclusive on appeal, and that reasonable compensation for unlawful detention may exceed amounts specifically prayed for in complaints when supported by evidence.