PRIMITIVO LOVINA, and NELLY MONTILLA, plaintiffs-appelleesvs. HON. FLORENCIO MORENO, as Se !eta!" #f P$%li &#!

's and C#(($ni ati#ns, and )EN*AMINYON+ON, defendants-appellants Fa ts,N$(e!#$s !esidents #f Ma a%e%e, Pa(pan-a #(plained t.at appellees .ad %l# 'ed t.e /Sapan)$lati/, a navi-a%le !ive! in t.e sa(e ($ni ipalit" and as'ed t.at t.e #%st!$ ti#ns %e #!de!ed !e(#ved, $nde! t.e p!#visi#ns #fRep$%li A t N#. 0123. Afte! n#ti e and .ea!in- t# t.e pa!ties, t.e said Se !eta!" #f P$%li &#!'s andC#(($ni ati#ns f#$nd t.e #nst!$ ti#ns t# %e a p$%li n$isan e in navi-a%le 4ate!s, and #!de!ed t.e land #4ne!s,sp#$ses L#vina, t# !e(#ve five 526 l#s$!es #f Sapan)$lati. Afte! !e eipt #f t.e de isi#n, t.e appellees filed a petiti#n in CFI #f Manila t# !est!ain t.e Se !eta!" f!#( enf#! in- .is de isi#n.T.e t!ial #$!t, afte! d$e .ea!in-, -!anted a pe!(anent in7$n ti#n. It .eld t.at Rep$%li A t N#. 0123 is$n #nstit$ti#nal and t.at Sapan- )$lati is n#t a navi-a%le !ive! %$t a p!ivate st!ea(.T.e appellees 8 #ntenti#n is t.at Rep$%li A t N#. 0123 is $n #nstit$ti#nal %e a$se it invests t.e Se !eta!" #f P$%li &#!'s and C#(($ni ati#ns 4it. s4eepin-, $n!est!ained, final and $nappeala%le a$t.#!it" t# pass $p#n t.e iss$es #f 4.et.e! a !ive! #! st!ea( is p$%li and navi-a%le, 4.et.e! a da( en !#a .es $p#n s$ . 4ate!s and is #nstit$tive as a p$%li n$isan e, and 4.et.e! t.e la4 applies t# t.e state #f fa ts, t.e!e%" C#nstit$tin- an alle-ed $nla4f$ldele-ati#n #f 7$di ial p#4e! t# t.e Se !eta!" #f P$%li &#!'s and C#(($ni ati#ns. Iss$e, &.et.e! #! n#t t.e!e is an $nla4f$l dele-ati#n #f 7$di ial p#4e!. Held,T.e #ntenti#ns #f t.e appellees a!e n#t tena%le. R.A. 0123 (e!el" e(p#4e!s t.e Se !eta!" t# !e(#ve $na$t.#!i9ed #%st!$ ti#ns #! en !#a .(ents $p#n p$%li st!ea(s, #nst!$ ti#ns t.at n# p!ivate pe!s#n 4as an"4a" entitled t#(a'e, %e a$se t.e %ed #f navi-a%le st!ea(s is p$%li p!#pe!t", and #4ne!s.ip t.e!e#f is n#t a :$i!a%le %" adve!se p#ssessi#n.It is t!$e t.at t.e e;e! ise #f t.e Se !eta!"<s p#4e! $nde! t.e A t ne essa!il" inv#lves t.e dete!(inati#n #f s#(e :$esti#ns #f fa t, s$ . as t.e e;isten e #f t.e st!ea( and its p!evi#$s navi-a%le .a!a te!= %$t t.ese f$n ti#ns,4.et.e! 7$di ial #! :$asi-7$di ial, a!e (e!el" in idental t# t.e e;e! ise #f t.e p#4e! -!anted %" la4 t# lea! navi-a%lest!ea(s #f $na$t.#!i9ed #%st!$ ti#ns #! en !#a .(ents, and a$t.#!ities a!e lea! t.at t.e" a!e, validl" #nfe!a%le$p#n e;e $tive #ffi ials p!#vided t.e pa!t" affe ted is -iven #pp#!t$nit" t# %e .ea!d, as is e;p!essl" !e:$i!ed %"Rep$%li A t N#. 0123, se ti#n 0.T.e (e!e fa t t.at an #ffi e! is !e:$i!ed %" la4 t# in:$i!e t.e e;isten e #f e!tain fa ts and t# appl" t.e la4 t.e!et# in#!de! t# dete!(ine 4.at .is #ffi ial #nd$ t s.all %e and t.e fa t t.at t.ese a ts (a" affe t p!ivate, !i-.ts d# n#t #nstit$te an e;e! ise #f 7$di ial p#4e!s. A #!din-l", a stat$te (a" -ive t# n#n-7$di ial #ffi e!s t.e p#4e! t# de la!et.e e;isten e #f fa ts 4.i . all int# #pe!ati#n its p!#visi#ns, and si(ila!l" (a" -!ant t# #((issi#ne!s and #t.e!s$%#!dinate #ffi e!, p#4e! t# as e!tain and dete!(ine app!#p!iate fa ts as a %asis f#! p!# ed$!e in t.e enf#! e(ent#f pa!ti $la! la4s.It is n#te4#!t." t.at Rep$%li A t 0312 a$t.#!i9es !e(#val #f t.e $na$t.#!i9ed di'es eit.e! as /p$%li n$isan es #! asp!#.i%ited #nst!$ ti#ns/ #n p$%li navi-a%le st!ea(s, and t.#se #f appellees lea!l" a!e in t.e latte! lass.In fine, it is .eld t.at Rep$%li A t N#. 0123 d#es n#t #nstit$te an $nla4f$l dele-ati#n #f 7$di ial p#4e! t# t.eSe !eta!" #f P$%li &#!'s= t.at t.e findin-s #f fa t #f t.e Se !eta!" #f P$%li &#!'s $nde! Rep$%li A t N#. 0123s.#$ld %e !espe ted in t.e a%sen e #f ille-alit", e!!#! #f la4, f!a$d, #! i(p#siti#n, s# l#n- as t.e said, findin-s a!es$pp#!ted %" s$%stantial eviden e s$%(itted t# .i(.T.e de isi#n appealed f!#( is !eve!sed, and t.e 4!its #f in7$n ti#n iss$ed t.e!ein a!e ann$lled and set aside.