REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, REPRESENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS, Petitioner vs.

FAR EAST ENTERPRISES, INC., ARSOL MANAGEMENT CORPORATION,* MARIA CHRISTINA C. BERNASCONI, JORGE C. BERNASCONI, RENE C. BERNASCONI, REGINA B. TUASON, CHRISTIAN C. BERNASCONI, MARTIN C. BERNASCONI, JAIME C. BERNASCONI and CHRISTINA MARIE C. BERNASCONI, Respondents G.R. No. 1 !"# , A$%$&' (), (**+ Facts: Petition for Review on Certiorari which seeks to reverse and set aside the Decision of the Court of Appeals which dismissed petitioner Republic of the Philippines Petition for Certiorari, and its Resolution denying petitioners motion for reconsideration. he Court of Appeals held that the Regional rial Court of !asugbu, "atangas, did not act with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or e#cess of $urisdiction in ordering petitioner to make an additional payment of P%&'.(( per s)uare meter for the sub$ect properties of respondents *ar +ast and the "ernasconis before the issuance of an ,rder to take possession of the sub$ect properties, and a writ of possession. he Republic of the Philippines, represented by the -ecretary of the Department of Public .orks and /ighways 0DP./1, filed a Complaint for +minent Domain before the Regional rial Court of !asugbu, "atangas against *ar +ast +nterprises, 2nc. 0*ar +ast1 Issue: .,! the court is the proper venue in which to resolve any dispute involving the classification of lands3 Ruling: he court agrees with the petitioner that the courts have $udicial discretion to determine the classification of lands, because such classification is one of the relevant standards for the assessment of the value of lands, sub$ect of e#propriation proceedings. 2t is one factor that the courts consider in determining $ust compensation. he determination of $ust compensation is a function addressed by the courts of $ustice and may not be usurped by any other branch or official of the government. /owever, we would like to make it clear that -ection ' of Republic Act !o. 456% lists the relevant standards that are to be considered in determining $ust compensation for and not classification of lands, as petitioner would like us to believe. he Court recogni7es the power of a local government to reclassify and convert lands through local ordinance, especially if said ordinance is approved by the /89R". Discretion is vested in the appropriate government agencies to determine the suitability of a land for residential, commercial, industrial or other purposes. 2t is also a settled rule that an ordinance en$oys the presumption of validity. /aving the power to classify lands, the local government unit may consider factors that are $ust, reasonable and legal, for it is within the local government units power to determine these. /owever, if they abuse their authority in the performance of this duty, the courts, if prompted, can step in. 2n the case at bar, the lands in )uestion had long been 0almost &( years1 reclassified as residential before the instant case was filed. All those years, no one )uestioned the ordinance reclassifying the lands. 2f petitioner would like to have the reclassification of the lands involved changed to agricultural, the $ust and reasonable way of doing it is to go to the municipal council :: not the courts ; that enacted the ordinance and to ask that the lands be reclassified again as agricultural. echnical matters such as 7oning classifications and building certifications should be primarily resolved first by the administrative agency whose e#pertise relates therein. he $urisprudential trend is for courts to refrain from resolving a controversy involving matters that demand the special competence of administrative agencies, <even if the )uestions involved are also $udicial in character.= 2n this manner, the court give the respect due to these agencies 0the municipal council and the /uman -ettlement Regulatory Commission >now /89R"?1, which un)uestionably have primary $urisdiction to rule on matters of classification of lands.