- Petitioner
- Heirs of the Late Atty. Edilberto C. Pama, Sr.
- Respondent
- Heirs of the Late Arnaldo
- Citation
- G.R. No. 226534
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Division
- Second Division
- Decided
- January 31, 2018
Summary
This case involved a property dispute between the heirs of Atty. Edilberto Pama and the heirs of Arnaldo and Irene Bautista over a 9-hectare land in South Cotabato. The dispute arose from a 1975 mortgage of the property by Irene to Emma Pama for P17,000.00. After Emma's death, Irene attempted to redeem the property but was prevented by Edilberto's unreasonable demands. The Pama heirs claimed ownership based on alleged deeds of sale from 1972 and 1975, both of which were proven to be forged. The Supreme Court affirmed the lower courts' decisions that the transaction was merely an equitable mortgage, not a sale, and ordered the Pama heirs to vacate the property. The Court also upheld the CA's denial of the motion for reconsideration for late filing, emphasizing that the postmark date on the envelope controls the filing date. The decision reinforced the principle that courts must construe doubtful transactions as equitable mortgages rather than sales when evidence suggests lesser transmission of rights.