562 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

*
G.R. No. 132209. April 29, 2005.

CARLOS C. BUENDIA, petitioner, vs. CITY OF ILIGAN,

respondent.

Actions; Certiorari; The Supreme Court has ruled, as early as 20

January 1992 in a Resolution in PHILEC Workers Union v. Hon.
Romeo A. Young, that the special civil action for certiorari under
Rule 65 of the Rules of Court must be filed within a reasonable
period of only three (3) months.From receipt of the NWRB order
denying its opposition and/or appeal, respondent did not file a
Motion for Reconsideration but proceeded to file a Petition for
Certiorari with the RTC after almost six (6) months from the
issuance of said order. Certainly, filing said petition almost six (6)
months later does not fall within what this Court considers as a
reasonable period to institute a petition for certiorari. Although the
applicable rules on special

_______________

* SECOND DIVISION.

563

VOL. 457, APRIL 29, 2005 563

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

civil action for certiorari, at the time of the filing of the petition, did
not provide for a definite time frame within which to file the
petition, this Court has ruled, as early as 20 January 1992 in a
Resolution in PHILEC Workers Union v. Hon. Romeo A. Young,
that the special civil action for certiorari under Rule 65 of the
Rules of Court must be filed within a reasonable period of only
three (3) months. The failure to file the certiorari petition within a
reasonable time renders the petitioner [respondent in this case]
susceptible to the adverse legal consequences of laches.
Natural Resources; National Water Resources Board (NWRB);
The NWRB exercises original jurisdiction over issues involving
water rights controversies.Absent a discussion by the NWRB of
the substantial issues raised in the Opposition and/or Appeal, the
trial court should not have decided said questions especially since
they were not passed upon by the Board which exercises original
jurisdiction over issues involving water rights controversies.
Same; Same; Administrative Law; Doctrine of Exhaustion of
Administrative Remedies; If the case is such that its determination
requires the expertise, specialized skills and knowledge of the proper
administrative bodies because technical matters or intricate
questions of facts are involved, then relief must first be obtained in
an administrative proceeding before a remedy will be supplied by the
courts even though the matter is within the proper jurisdiction of a
court; The question as to who between two persons has the better
right to a water source should be left to the determination of the
NWRB.Time and again, this Court has upheld the doctrine of
primary jurisdiction in deference to the specialized expertise of
administrative agencies to act on certain matters. As held by the
Court in the case of Industrial Enterprises, Inc. v. Court of Appeals:
. . . [I]f the case is such that its determination requires the
expertise, specialized skills and knowledge of the proper
administrative bodies because technical matters or intricate
questions of facts are involved, then relief must first be obtained in
an administrative proceeding before a remedy will be supplied by
the courts even though the matter is within the proper jurisdiction
of a court. Therefore, the question of as to who between the City of
Iligan and Carlos Buendia has the better right to the water source
should have been left to the determination of the NWRB via a
timely protest filed during the pendency of the water permit
applications. However, said issue could not have been adjudi-

564

564 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

cated upon by the NWRB since the application was never properly
contested. Hence, in the absence of a timely protest filed before the
NWRB, no water rights controversy arose wherein the NWRB can
properly discuss the substantial issues raised by respondent.
Same; Same; Same; The failure of the party to timely oppose the
water permit application of another, and later on to file the Petition
for Certiorari within a reasonable period of time, has the effect of
rendering the grant of the water permits to the latter final and
executory.From a reading of the above provisions, it is evident
that after an application to obtain a water permit has been made
known to the public, any interested party must file his protest
thereto, in order that the application may be properly evaluated.
Otherwise, after the application for a water permit has been
approved, the grantee of the permit now acquires an exclusive right
to use the water source, reckoned from the date of the filing of the
applications. Thus, after petitioners right to the water permit has
been properly adjudicated, respondent may no longer belatedly
question said grant. By virtue of respondents failure to lodge a
timely protest, petitioner has already acquired the right to
appropriate the water from the spring inside the latters property.
In conclusion, the failure of respondent City of Iligan to timely
oppose the water permit applications, and later on to file the
Petition for Certiorari within a reasonable time has the effect of
rendering the grant of the water permits to petitioner Buendia final
and executory.
Same; Same; City of Iligan; The Charter of the City of Iligan
(R.A. 525) shows no grant of the power to appropriate water
resourcesSection 15 of the Charter merely provides for the power to
provide for the maintenance of waterworks for supplying water to
the inhabitants of the city.As to the fourth issue of whether or not
respondent has the right to appropriate water under its charter,
suffice it to say that a perusal of the charter of the City of Iligan
(Rep. Act No. 525) shows no grant of the power to appropriate water
resources. Section 15 of the charter merely provides for the power to
provide for the maintenance of waterworks for supplying water to
the inhabitants of the city.

PETITION for review on certiorari of a decision of the

Court of Appeals.

The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.

565

VOL. 457, APRIL 29, 2005 565

 Buendia vs. City of Iligan

Romulo, Mabanta, Buenaventura, Sayoc & Delos

Angeles Law Offices for petitioner.
Thomas Dean Quijano and Wilson Namocot for
respondent.

CHICO-NAZARIO, J.:

Before Us is a Petition for Review on Certiorari assailing

1
the Decision of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Lanao
2
del Norte, Branch 2, which set aside the Order of the
National Water Resources Board (NWRB), the dispositive
portion of which reads:

WHEREFORE, the writ of certiorari prayed for is hereby granted

and the question (sic) NWRB order of March 10, 1994, is hereby set
aside and rendered of no effect for being issued in grave abuse of
3
discretion.

The Facts

On 05 October 1992, petitioner Buendia filed with the

NWRB an application for the appropriation of water from a
spring located within his property in Ditucalan, Iligan City.
Said application was docketed as Application No. 11913 (for
commercial purposes) and No. 11917 (for domestic water
4
supply).
In the absence of protests to the applications being
timely filed, the NWRB, after evaluating petitioners
applications, issued on 25 June 1993, Water Permits No.
5
13842 and No. 13827 in his favor.

_______________

1 Dated 15 August 1997, docketed as Civil Case No. II-3024.

2 Dated 10 March 1994.
3 Rollo, p. 45.
4 Rollo, pp. 47-48.
5 Rollo, pp. 49-50.

566

566 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

 Buendia vs. City of Iligan

On 17 November 1993, almost five (5) months after

petitioners Water Permits were issued, respondent City of
6
Iligan filed with the NWRB an Opposition and/or Appeal
contesting the issuance of said water permits to petitioner.
The Opposition and/or Appeal sought to serve as both a
protest against petitioners water permit applications, as
well as an appeal to the NWRBs grant of the water permits
to petitioner.
7
On 10 March 1994, the NWRB issued an Order
dismissing respondents Opposition and/or Appeal. The
Opposition part was dismissed for being filed out of time,
while the Appeal part was dismissed as a consequence of
the denial of the opposition to the application, i.e., in the
absence of a verified protest having been seasonably filed,
no water rights controversy arose; hence, there was no
decision from which respondent may appeal from.
Respondent City of Iligan did not move for a
reconsideration of said order, nor did it appeal to the
8
appropriate Executive Department, but instead filed on 09
September 1994, with the RTC of Lanao del Norte, Branch
2, a Petition for Certiorari assailing the legality of the
NWRB Order for being issued in excess of its jurisdiction
and/or with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of
jurisdiction.
Respondent sought to annul the NWRB Order on the
following specific grounds:

1) The NWRB did not notify the City of Iligan of

Buendias Water Permit Application No. 11913 and
No. 11917. Neither did the NWRB give the City of
Iligan an opportunity to be heard with respect to
the applications because no public hearing was
conducted; and

_______________

6 Rollo, pp. 51-56.

7 Rollo, pp. 57-58.
8 As provided for in the Administrative Code of 1987, respondent
should have appealed the NWRB Order directly with the pertinent
Department Head.

567
 VOL. 457, APRIL 29, 2005 567
Buendia vs. City of Iligan

2) The NWRBs March 10, 1994 Order was issued

without due process, the NWRB having arbitrarily
and despotically denied the City of Iligans
Opposition and/or Appeal notwithstanding the fact
that the latter was not furnished a copy (sic) of
9
Buendias Water Permits.

In his Answer, petitioner prayed for the dismissal of the

petition claiming inter alia that: (a) the petition was not
filed within a reasonable period, as it was filed more than
five (5) months after petitioner received a copy of the order
it seeks to annul; (b) the petition lacks cause of action for
failure of the City of Iligan to file a Motion for
Reconsideration which is a prerequisite to the filing of a
petition for certiorari; (c) the City of Iligan did not exhaust
all administrative remedies, since it did not avail itself of
its right to appeal as provided under the Administrative
Code of 1987; and (d) the NWRB appropriately dismissed
10
the Opposition and/or Appeal.
After all the issues were joined with the filing of the last
pleading, the case was set for pre-trial. As reflected in the
pre-trial order of 28 June 1996 which was amended on 02
July 1996, the parties specifically agreed to limit the issue
of the case to whether or not the NWRB Order dated
March 10, 1994 was rendered by the NWRB with grave
11
abuse of discretion or contrary to law.
On 15 August 1997, the trial court rendered the assailed
decision. Although the court a quo upheld the dismissal of
the Opposition and/or Appeal on procedural grounds, it
nonetheless annulled the NWRB Order, to wit:

From the aforesaid established facts, it could be safely deduced that

as early as October 22, 1992 or eight months prior to the issuance of
respondent Buendias water permits on June 23, 1993, petitioner
City of Iligan was already aware of respondent Buendias

_______________

9 RTC Decision, pp. 1-2; Rollo, pp. 33-34.

10 Rollo, pp. 65-66.
11 Rollo, p. 90.

568
568 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED
Buendia vs. City of Iligan

water permit application and had all the opportunity to protest or

oppose the same.
...
In this particular case, as emphatically stressed in respondent
Buendias memorandum, it is not disputed that no verified protest or
opposition was filed during all the time, respondent Buendias
applications were being processed by respondent NWRB. Hence,
under the prevailing circumstances, it being uncontested, no water
rights controversy arose and respondent NWRB directly evaluated
the technical aspect of the applications pursuant to the
Implementing Rules and Regulations as explained above. In fact, on
March 11-12, 1993, respondent NWRB, had conducted the physical
investigation of the spring, which is the subject matter of the
application.
...
Accordingly, based only upon the foregoing considerations, it
would appear that respondent NWRB was correct in dismissing
petitioners Opposition and/or Appeal because there is nothing
which can be the subject of an appeal as there is nothing for
respondent NWRB to decide considering the absence of water rights
controversy.
Considering, however, that the instant case is a clash between an
individual or private right as against an assertion for the public
welfare, involving, as a matter of fact, the water supply for the City
of Iligan, this Court has to examine more closely the facts and the
law in their broadest perspective. A more careful scrutiny of the
records as well as the stipulations of facts and admissions by the
parties, as herein above specified, reveal material and substantial
aspects of the case, not taken into consideration by the respondent
12
NWRB, which entirely changes the complexion of the case.
[Emphases ours]

According to the lower court, the appropriation by the

Iligan City Waterworks Sewerage System (ICWSS) and its
predecessors-in-interest of the water source at Ditucalan
spring was from 1927 up to the present, as shown by the
following:

_______________

12 RTC Decision, pp. 7-8; Rollo, pp. 39-40.

569
 VOL. 457, APRIL 29, 2005 569
Buendia vs. City of Iligan

1) That the Iligan Waterworks Sewerage System has

been existing as early as 1927 and the same was
taken over by the NAWASA on April 1, 1956;
2) That in 1971, R.A. No. 6234 was passed and by
virtue of the same, the MWSS took over the
NAWASA, and on August 19, 1973, a Memorandum
of Agreement (MOA) was issued between the
MWSS and the City Mayor of Iligan,13 transferring
the power of the MWSS to Iligan City.

Thus, following the rule on acquisitive prescription that the

right to the use of public water may be acquired through
prescription for twenty (20) years, the court a quo ruled
that the ICWSS had already acquired by acquisitive
prescription the right to appropriate water from the
Ditucalan spring prior to Buendias application for water
rights before the NWRB and that the Board no longer had
any jurisdiction to issue any water right over the same
water source.
Thereafter, on 30 September 1997, petitioner filed a
Motion for Reconsideration, which 14 was subsequently
denied by the trial court in an Order dated 05 January
1998.
Raising purely questions of law, petitioner filed the
present petition.

Issues

In this Petition for Certiorari, petitioner raises the

following issues:

1. Whether the court a quo went beyond the issues it

was empowered to adjudicate, as delineated in the
Pre-Trial Order, and thus departed from the
accepted and usual course of judicial proceedings,
as well as deprived petitioner of his right to present
evidence to support the case;

_______________

13 Id., at p. 8.
 14 Rollo, p. 46.

570

570 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

2. Assuming that the court a quo may validly pass

upon the issue of who has the better right to
appropriate water from petitioners property,
whether it decided this question of substance in
accord with law or with the applicable decisions of
the Supreme Court;
3. Whether the court a quo correctly ruled that since
respondent had already acquired by acquisitive
prescription the right to appropriate water from the
Ditucalan spring then the NWRB no longer had any
jurisdiction to issue any water right over the same
water source; and
4. Whether the court a quo correctly ruled that
respondent has the right to appropriate water
under its charter, Republic Act No. 525.

Ruling of the Court

In order to properly settle the issues raised in the instant

case, a perusal of the NWRB Order of 10 March 1994 is of
utmost importance since, as determined by the parties
during pre-trial and recognized by the trial court in its
decision, the pivotal issue of the case is the legality of the
NWRB Order dismissing respondents Opposition and/or
Appeal.
It bears stressing that respondents Opposition and/or
Appeal was dismissed by the NWRB solely on procedural
grounds, the opposition being filed out of time. According to
the NWRB:

As against this gratuitous claim by the oppositors, however, the

record is replete with evidence that Iligan City, was in point of fact
and in law, very much aware of these applications as early as
October 22, 1992, yet no verified protest nor opposition was filed by
Iligan City during all the time that these applications were being
processed, investigated and evaluated and despite having ample
opportunity to do so . . .
On the other point raised which pertains to the appeal issue, a
careful examination of these articles alluded to (Arts. 88 and 89,
P.D. 1067) shows beyond doubt that these refers to decisions of the
Council (now Board) on water rights controversies or disputes,
which

571

VOL. 457, APRIL 29, 2005 571

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

in this particular case does not exist. In the case at bar, there was
NO decision of a water right controversy in the pre-issuance of
subject water permits which may be the subject of an appeal.
Considering further that there was NO verified protest seasonably
filed against said applications, logically therefore, there is no
controversy to speak of. . . .
In essence, the Opposition and/or Appeal filed by Iligan City,
has no leg to stand on, because it was filed OUT OF TIME and
15
secondly, because of want of legal and factual basis. [Italics ours]

Clearly, therefore, the only question which the court a quo

should have resolved is whether or not the NWRB had
correctly dismissed the Opposition and/or Appeal for
being filed out of time. To said issue, the trial court opined:

In this particular case, as emphatically stressed in respondent

Buendias memorandum, it is not disputed that no verified protest
or opposition was filed during all the time, respondent Buendias
applications were being processed by respondent NWRB. Hence,
under the prevailing circumstances, it being uncontested, no water
rights controversy arose. . .
...
Accordingly, based only upon the foregoing considerations, it
would appear that respondent NWRB was correct in dismissing
petitioners Opposition and/or Appeal because there is nothing
which can be the subject of an appeal as there is nothing for
respondent NWRB to decide considering the absence of water rights
16
controversy. [Emphasis Ours]

Respondents penchant for disregarding the rules of

procedure is evident from the facts of the case. Both the
NWRB and the trial court deduced that as early as 22
October 1992 or eight (8) months prior to the issuance of
petitioners water permits, respondent City of Iligan was
already aware of Buendias applications and had all the
opportunity to protest the same but failed to do so and
instead, filed its opposition

_______________

15 NWRB Order, pp. 1-2; Rollo, pp. 57-58.

16 RTC Decision, p. 7; Rollo, p. 39.

572

572 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

and/or appeal almost five months after the permits have

been issued. Further, from receipt of the NWRB order
denying its opposition and/or appeal, respondent did not
file a Motion for Reconsideration but proceeded to file a
Petition for Certiorari with the RTC after almost six (6)
months from the issuance of said order. Certainly, filing
said petition almost six (6) months later does not fall
within what this Court considers as a reasonable period to
institute a petition for certiorari. Although the applicable
rules on special civil action for certiorari, at the time of the
filing of the petition, did not provide for 17
a definite time
frame within which to file the petition, this Court has
ruled, as early as 20 January 1992 in a Resolution 18
in
PHILEC Workers Union v. Hon. Romeo A. Young, that
the special civil action for certiorari under Rule 65 of the
Rules of Court must be19 filed within a reasonable period of
only three (3) months.
The failure to file the certiorari petition within a
reasonable time renders the petitioner [respondent in this
case] susceptible
20
to the adverse legal consequences of
laches. The essence of laches is the failure, or neglect, for
an unreasonable and unexplained length of time to do that
which, by exercising due diligence, could or should have
been done earlier; it is the negligence or omission to assert
a right within a reason-

_______________

17 The 1997 Rules on Civil Procedure now provides under Sec. 4 of

Rule 65 that petitions for certiorari must be filed not later than sixty (60)
days from notice of the judgment, order, or resolution sought to be
assailed.
18 G.R. No. 101734.
19 Gaston v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 116340, 29 June 2000, 334
SCRA 546, 554.
20 Municipality of Carcar v. Court of First Instance of Cebu, G.R. No.
L-31628, 27 December 1982, 119 SCRA 392, cited in Ysmael, Jr. & Co. v.
Deputy Executive Secretary, G.R. No. 79538, 18 October 1990, 190 SCRA
673.

573

VOL. 457, APRIL 29, 2005 573

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

able time, warranting a presumption that the party

entitled to assert it either has abandoned it or declined to
21
assert it.
Notwithstanding the conclusion that the dismissal of
said opposition and/or appeal was in accordance with law,
the court a quo proceeded to resolve the question of as to
who between the City of Iligan and Carlos Buendia has the
better right to the water source, certainly going beyond the
issue delineated in the pre-trial. The RTC reasoned:

Considering, however, that the instant case is a clash between an

individual or private right as against an assertion for the public
welfare, involving, as a matter of fact, the water supply for the City
of Iligan, this Court has to examine more closely the facts and the
law in their broadest perspective. A more careful scrutiny of the
records as well as the stipulations of facts and admissions by the
parties, as herein above specified, reveal material and substantial
aspects of the case, not taken into consideration by the respondent
22
NWRB, which entirely changes the complexion of the case.

Absent a discussion by the NWRB of the substantial issues

raised in the Opposition and/or Appeal, the trial court
should not have decided said questions especially since
they were not passed upon by the Board which exercises
original jurisdiction
23
over issues involving water rights
controversies.
Time and again, this Court has upheld the doctrine of
primary jurisdiction in deference to the specialized
expertise of administrative agencies to act on certain
matters. As held by
_______________

21 Lim Tay v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 126891, 05 August 1998, 293
SCRA 634; Santiago v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 103959, 21 August
1997, 278 SCRA 98; Philgreen Trading Construction Corp. v. Court of
Appeals, G.R. No. 120408, 18 April 1997, 271 SCRA 719, cited in Gaston
v. Court of Appeals, supra, Note 19.
22 RTC Decision, pp. 7-8.
23 Art. 88. The Council shall have original jurisdiction over all disputes
relating to appropriation, utilization, exploitation, development, control,
conservation and protection of waters within the meaning and context of
the provisions of this Code. (Presidential Decree No. 1067).

574

574 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

the Court in
24
the case of Industrial Enterprises, Inc. v. Court
of Appeals:

. . . [I]f the case is such that its determination requires the

expertise, specialized skills and knowledge of the proper
administrative bodies because technical matters or intricate
questions of facts are involved, then relief must first be obtained in
an administrative proceeding before a remedy will be supplied by
the courts even though the matter is within the proper jurisdiction
of a court.

Therefore, the question of as to who between the City of

Iligan and Carlos Buendia has the better right to the water
source should have been left to the determination of the
NWRB via a timely protest filed during the pendency of the
water permit applications. However, said issue could not
have been adjudicated upon by the NWRB since the
application was never properly contested. Hence, in the
absence of a timely protest filed before the NWRB, no
water rights controversy arose wherein the NWRB can
properly discuss the substantial issues raised by
respondent.
Furthermore, Articles 16 and 17 of the Water Code of the
Philippines provide:

Art. 16. Any person who desires to obtain a water permit shall file
an application with the Council [now Board] who shall make known
said application to the public for any protests.
 In determining whether to grant or deny an application, the
Council [now Board] shall consider the following: protests filed, if
any; prior permits granted; the availability of water; the water
supply needed for beneficial use; possible adverse effects; land-use
economics; and other relevant factors.
Upon approval of an application, a water permit shall be issued
and recorded.
Art. 17. The right to the use of water is deemed acquired as of the
date of filing of the application for a water permit in case of ap-

_______________

24 G.R. No. 88550, 18 April 1990, 184 SCRA 426, 431-432.

575

VOL. 457, APRIL 29, 2005 575

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

proved permits, or as of the date of actual use in a case where no

permit is required. [Emphases ours]

From a reading of the above provisions, it is evident that

after an application to obtain a water permit has been
made known to the public, any interested party must file
his protest thereto, in order that the application may be
properly evaluated. Otherwise, after the application for a
water permit has been approved, the grantee of the permit
now acquires an exclusive right to use the water source,
reckoned from the date of the filing of the applications.
Thus, after petitioners right to the water permit has been
properly adjudicated, respondent may no longer belatedly
question said grant. By virtue of respondents failure to
lodge a timely protest, petitioner has already acquired the
right to appropriate the water from the spring inside the
latters property.
In conclusion, the failure of respondent City of Iligan to
timely oppose the water permit applications, and later on
to file the Petition for Certiorari within a reasonable time
has the effect of rendering the grant of the water permits to
petitioner Buendia final and executory.
As to the issue of acquisitive prescription, the Court
cannot now accept hook, line, and sinker the lower courts
findings on the issue based on two reasons. First, said
determination was not passed upon by the agency that
exercises original jurisdiction to settle said question of fact,
which brings us to the conclusion that the court a quo
should have declined to decide on the matter. Second, such
determination is contradicted by the allegations made by
the City of Iligan in a previous case that has become final
involving
25
the same parties. It has been established in the
decision of the RTC of Lanao del Norte, Branch 1,
entitled, Buendia 26v. City of Iligan, and affirmed by the
Court of Appeals, that respondent entered petitioners
property only in 1974 and constructed an in-take dam
thereon

_______________

25 Civil Case No. 1255, dated 15 May 1990.

26 CA-G.R. CV No. 27723, dated 29 November 1991.

576

576 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

for purposes of appropriating water from the spring only in

1978. According to the said decision:

On the other hand, the defendant City of Iligans allegations that its
entry and clearing over the area in1974 was acted upon in good faith
as allowed by the administratrix of the estate of plaintiff s father in
the person of Aurea Buendia is right. But its failure later on to
obtain the consent and knowledge of the true owner when it
constructed the in-take dam over the land in 1978 constitute bad
27
faith. . .

Therefore, based on respondents previous allegations, the

ICWSS cannot be said to have acquired a right to the use of
the water source by acquisitive prescription, since it only
entered the premises two (2) years before the enactment of
the Water Code of the Philippines and only eighteen (18)
years before petitioner applied with the NWRB for water
permits. Furthermore, respondents alleged exercise of its
right to appropriate the water source since 1927 is negated
by its belated application with the NWRB for water
permits. If indeed the City of Iligan has the right to
appropriate water from the spring located inside
petitioners property, then respondent would not have filed
said application after the water permits over said water
source have already been issued to petitioner.
 As to the fourth issue of whether or not respondent has
the right to appropriate water under its charter, suffice it
to say that a perusal of the charter of the City of Iligan
(Rep. Act No. 525) shows no grant of the power to
appropriate water resources. Section 15 of the charter
merely provides for the power to provide for the
maintenance of waterworks for supplying water to the
inhabitants of the city.
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the petition is
hereby GRANTED and the Decision of the Regional Trial
Court of Lanao del Norte, Branch 2, dated 15 August 1997,
is hereby

_______________

27 RTC Decision in Civil Case No. 1255, p. 5; Rollo, p. 119.

577

VOL. 457, APRIL 29, 2005 577

Buendia vs. City of Iligan

SET ASIDE. The Order of the National Water Resources

Board dated 10 March 1994 is AFFIRMED. No costs.
SO ORDERED.

Puno (Chairman), Austria-Martinez, Callejo, Sr. and

Tinga, JJ., concur.

Petition granted, judgment set aside. Order of the

National Water Resources Board affirmed.

Notes.It is difficult for a man, scavenging on the

garbage dump or fishing in the murky waters of the Pasig
River and the Laguna Lake or making a clearing in the
forest to understand why protecting birds, fish, and trees is
more important than the protecting him and keeping his
family alive. (Laguna Lake Development Authority vs.
Court of Appeals, 251 SCRA 42 [1995])
The word passage does not clearly and unmistakably
convey a meaning that includes a right to install water
pipes on the access road since the ordinary meaning of the
word is that it is the act or the action of passing;
movement or transference from one point to another, and
its legal meaning is not different, which is the act of
passing; transit; transition. (Prosperity Credit Resources,
 Inc. vs. Court of Appeals, 301 SCRA 52 [1999])

o0o

578

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