PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES VS. ECHAVES

FACTS
The defendants entered into, occupied and cultivated a portion of a grazing land physically occupied, possessed and claimed by Atty. Vicente dela Serna, Jr. The said cultivating has rendered a nuisance to and has deprived the full use thereof for which the land applied for has been intended, that is preventing applicant’s cattle from grazing the whole area, thereby causing damage and prejudice to Atty. dela Serna, Jr. As such, the petitioners filed information’s against defendants charging them with squatting as penalized by PD No. 772.

ISSUE
Whether or not the defendants violated PD No. 772


HELD
No. The defendants did not violate PD No. 772 because the decree’s preamble does not include agricultural lands. It was intended to apply squatting in urban communities or more particularly to illegal construction the squatter areas made by well-to-do individuals. The squatting complained of involves pasture land in rural areas.

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