Ramon Meneses, Recurrente, Contra El Commonwealth De Filipinas, Recurrido

Summary

The Commonwealth sued Ramon Meneses to remove his fish pond from the Bambang River in Bulacan. The trial court initially ruled for Meneses, finding the structure was on private land. However, the Court of Appeals reversed, determining the fish pond occupied public riverbed. The Supreme Court affirmed, establishing that rivers and their channels constitute public domain under the Civil Code and Water Law. Despite Meneses' decades-long occupation, the Court held that public domain property cannot be privately appropriated or acquired through prescription. The decision reinforced that waterways remain inalienable public resources requiring government permits for private structures, protecting public navigation rights and environmental interests against private encroachment.