- Petitioner
- Mariano S. Yatco
- Respondent
- The Intestate Estate of Pablo Manguerra
- Citation
- G.R. No. 30818
- Court
- Supreme Court En Banc
- Division
- En Banc
- Ponente
- Romualdez, J.
- Decided
- March 25, 1930
Summary
This case involved competing claims over lot No. 2060 of the friar lands. Pedro Manguerra, while purchasing the lot on installments, executed multiple mortgages and eventually assigned his rights to Calamba Sugar Estate. The Supreme Court En Banc determined that the assignment became effective upon filing with the Bureau of Lands in January 1925, not upon approval in July 1925. This ruling invalidated subsequent mortgages executed by Manguerra to plaintiff Yatco and intervenors Zavalla sisters, as he no longer had rights to mortgage after the assignment. The Court converted these secured claims into unsecured credits against Manguerra's estate, establishing priority based on dates under Civil Code Article 1924. The decision clarified that under Act No. 1120, assignment of friar lands takes effect upon filing, not approval.