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Art. 5 of the Civil Code classifies certain rules as mandatory or prohibitory. A privately drafted deed purporting to...

Art. 5 of the Civil Code classifies certain rules as mandatory or prohibitory. A privately drafted deed purporting to convey a parcel of land from A to B is executed, but the law requires that transfers of immovable prop...

Citations: Civil Code of the Philippines, Article 5 (on mandatory and prohibitory laws); Civil Code provisions on the formal requirements for transfers of immovable property (public instrument).

Fina owns Lot 32, Block 5, in a subdivision. She privately sells the lot to Alma through a private deed, but the tran...

...shcard isolates the core doctrine in Art. 5—mandatory vs. prohibitory rules—by presenting a scenario about the formal requirement for transferring immovable property. It test...

Citations: Civil Code, Art. 5, Civil Code, Art. 1403

Zandra, the owner of Lot No. 12, Block 8, signs a private deed of sale conveying the lot to Niko. The deed is not exe...

...ocused on the core doctrine in Art. 5 about mandatory and prohibitory rules governing property transfers. The scenario uses distinct actors and a different fact pattern to test recognition of a mandatory p...

Citations: Civil Code of the Philippines, Art. 5

Facts: A Filipino passenger on board a Philippine-registered commercial airliner commits theft from another passenger...

...isdiction as limited to territorial land, rely on place-of-commission rules for airspace, or incorrectly claim the registration is irrelevant or that only certain offenses are extraterritorial.

Rosa owns Lot 12 in a barangay. She signs a private deed of sale transferring the lot to Ben. The deed is not in a pu...

...a public instrument and is not registered; Ben has not taken possession. Later, Rosa sells the same lot to Cara through another private deed, also without a public instrument or registration. A bank holds a mortgage on...

Citations: Civil Code, Art. 5 (mandatory/prohibitory framework), Civil Code provisions on the need for a public instrument and registration for transfers of immovable property (public-instrument rule and its binding effect on third parties)

A Filipino citizen, a medical student named Sara, travels to Spain for internship and commits estafa against a Spanis...

...r the RPC; and the remaining distractors confuse other jurisdictional rules (such as flag-vessel rules or treaty-based limits).

On March 2, 2014, A sold Lot 12 to B by private deed; the deed was not registered. On June 15, 2023, the Legislature...

On March 2, 2014, A sold Lot 12 to B by private deed; the deed was not registered. On June 15, 2023, the Legislature enacted the Retroactive Land Titles Act (RLTA), which provides: (i) retroactive effect to all land tran...

Citations: Civil Code of the Philippines, Article 4

On May 20, 2011, Ramon executed a private deed transferring a parcel of land to Maya; the deed was notarized but not...

On May 20, 2011, Ramon executed a private deed transferring a parcel of land to Maya; the deed was notarized but not registered. On June 30, 2030, the Legislature enacted the Retroactive Property Titles Act (RPTA), which...

Citations: Civil Code of the Philippines, Article 4, Lawphil

On September 9, 2018, Paolo sold Lot X to Lena by a private deed of sale; the deed was notarized but not registered....

On September 9, 2018, Paolo sold Lot X to Lena by a private deed of sale; the deed was notarized but not registered. On December 15, 2026, the Legislature enacted the Retroactive Land Titles Act (RLTA), which provides: (...

Citations: Civil Code of the Philippines, Article 4

On April 1, 2009, A executed a private deed of sale transferring Lot 7 to B; the deed was not notarized. B has posses...

On April 1, 2009, A executed a private deed of sale transferring Lot 7 to B; the deed was not notarized. B has possessed the land since. On January 30, 2025, the Retroactive Property Registration Act (RPRA) was enacted...

Citations: Civil Code of the Philippines, Article 4

On February 10, 2017, Ana sold Lot K to Ben by private deed; taxes were paid; the deed was not registered. On January...

On February 10, 2017, Ana sold Lot K to Ben by private deed; taxes were paid; the deed was not registered. On January 1, 2025, the Retroactive Land Titles Act (RLTA) takes effect, providing: (i) retroactive effect to all...

Citations: Civil Code, Art. 4

On February 20, 2019, Kai sold Parcel B to Zee by private deed; the deed was not notarized or registered. On August 1...

On February 20, 2019, Kai sold Parcel B to Zee by private deed; the deed was not notarized or registered. On August 15, 2024, the Legislature enacted the Retroactive Real Property Title Act (RRPTA), which provides: (i) r...

Citations: Civil Code, Art. 4

On June 10, 2010, Mario sold a parcel of land to Ana through a duly executed deed of sale that was never registered i...

On June 10, 2010, Mario sold a parcel of land to Ana through a duly executed deed of sale that was never registered in the Register of Deeds. On January 5, 2023, a new statute, the Retroactive Land Titles Act, was enacte...

Citations: Civil Code, Art. 4

On March 3, 2015, Diego signed a private deed transferring Parcel Alpha to Sofia; the deed is not notarized and has n...

On March 3, 2015, Diego signed a private deed transferring Parcel Alpha to Sofia; the deed is not notarized and has not been registered. On July 15, 2027, the Retroactive Transfer Recognition Act (RTR Act) is enacted, pr...

Citations: Civil Code, Article 4

On March 3, 2016, X sold Parcel A to Y by private deed; the deed was not registered. On April 20, 2024, the Legislatu...

On March 3, 2016, X sold Parcel A to Y by private deed; the deed was not registered. On April 20, 2024, the Legislature enacted the Retroactive Property Recognition Act (RPRA), which provides: (i) retroactive effect to a...

Citations: Civil Code of the Philippines, Article 4

On May 1, 2016, Adolfo executed a private deed of sale transferring Lot 27 to Bea; the deed was notarized but not reg...

On May 1, 2016, Adolfo executed a private deed of sale transferring Lot 27 to Bea; the deed was notarized but not registered. Adolfo later died, leaving Bea as purchaser in possession. On December 31, 2025, the Legislatu...

Citations: Civil Code of the Philippines, Art. 4

On May 10, 2026, the Real Property Registration Act is published in the Official Gazette and provides: (1) This Act s...

On May 10, 2026, the Real Property Registration Act is published in the Official Gazette and provides: (1) This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication; (2) All transfers of real property within its cov...

Citations: Civil Code, Art. 13, Revised Administrative Code of 1987, Book I, Chapter VIII, Sec. 31

On February 2, 2015, Ana sold Lot S to Ben by private deed; taxes were paid; the deed was not registered. On January...

On February 2, 2015, Ana sold Lot S to Ben by private deed; taxes were paid; the deed was not registered. On January 1, 2025, the Retroactive Land Titles Act (RLTA) takes effect, providing: (i) retroactive effect to all...

On March 1, 2020, Aldo sold Parcel C to Bea via private deed; the deed was not registered. On November 15, 2029, the...

On March 1, 2020, Aldo sold Parcel C to Bea via private deed; the deed was not registered. On November 15, 2029, the Legislature enacted the Retroactive Property Titles Act (RPPTA), which provides: (i) retroactive effect...

On April 10, 2021, JUAN sold Parcel Z to MARIA by private deed; the deed is notarized but not registered. On Septembe...

On April 10, 2021, JUAN sold Parcel Z to MARIA by private deed; the deed is notarized but not registered. On September 1, 2029, the Legislature enacted the Retroactive Property Transfers Act (RPTA), which provides: (i) r...

On August 2, 2018, Diego sold Lot 88 to Mia via a private deed; the deed was notarized but not registered. On Decembe...

On August 2, 2018, Diego sold Lot 88 to Mia via a private deed; the deed was notarized but not registered. On December 5, 2024, the Legislature enacted the Retroactive Property Titles Act (RPPTA), which provides: (i) ret...

On board a Philippine-flagged vessel in international waters, a Filipino passenger commits theft from another passeng...

On board a Philippine-flagged vessel in international waters, a Filipino passenger commits theft from another passenger. The vessel later arrives in Manila, where the passenger is prosecuted in the Philippines for the sa...

On July 20, 2021, Elena executed a private deed transferring Lot A to Sam; taxes were paid but the deed was not regis...

On July 20, 2021, Elena executed a private deed transferring Lot A to Sam; taxes were paid but the deed was not registered. On December 15, 2023, the Legislature enacted the Retroactive Land Titles Act (RLTA), which prov...

On May 1, 2020, Lora executed a private deed transferring Lot P to Kai; the deed is private and not necessarily notar...

On May 1, 2020, Lora executed a private deed transferring Lot P to Kai; the deed is private and not necessarily notarized, but taxes on the transfer were paid. On January 1, 2022, the Legislature enacted the Retroactive...