CA puts end to land claim of Lapu-Lapu ‘descendant’

The Court of Appeals (CA) has stopped an alleged descendant of epic hero Lapu-Lapu of the 1500s from ridiculously claiming, through three spurious land titles, the whole Philippine archipelago.

Justices Marina Buzon, Cancio Garcia and Eliezer de los Santos of the CA’s second division issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on a Pasay City court ruling validating Julian Tallano’s purported ownership of hundreds of millions of hectares in the country.

According to government lawyers who filed the suit, Tallano claims to be a prince who descended from King Luisong Tagean whose sons included Rajah Soliman and Lapu-Lapu.

The freeze order was issued on the three orders of Pasay City Judge Ernesto Reyes dated July 7, 1997, July 11, 2001 and Oct. 8, 2001.

The TRO was addressed to Reyes — who took over the sala of Enrique Agana who also affirmed Tallano’s claim to the lands — Anacleto Madrigal Acapiado, Anacleto Madrigal Acop, Tallano himself and the registers of deeds of Rizal and Guiguinto, Bulacan.

The respondents (Reyes et al.) were enjoined from "enforcing the orders and from conducting further proceedings therein."

Tallano and his lawyers have reportedly used the Pasay City court’s orders to "harass" property owners in the covered areas and that they had even wanted to evict the orphanage institution Hospicio de San Jose in Manila.

In a petition filed with the CA last April 9, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) assailed the validity of the lower court’s ruling as well as the three fake titles that lay claim to the whole Philippine archipelago, including Kalayaan and Sabah.

Solicitor General Simeon Marcelo, along with his subordinates, explained in their 178-page petition for annulment of judgment that the "sheer area covered constitutes more than conclusive evidence regarding the spurious character of said titles..."