Dear Lawyers,
Please help me on this please...This is my problem:
In 1977, we occupied a small land to be our residence, we acquired the land from our lolo's friend in exchange of one carabao and a pig. However, it was executed only in verbal agreement..the land that time was no title yet..we continuously occupied the land up to the present, and constructed a bungalow type house in 2000 because our house was only 'kubo' prior to that. The time came for my parents to apply for a title for the land, unfortunately, they discovered that the land was already titled to the relative of my lolo's friend,dated only in late 1990's, who received the animals in exchange to our rights to occupy the land,..according to the law (RA 6657) i have read...the actual occupants (atleast 10 years?) of the land is the qualified beneficiary of the public land..(landless residents)
At present, all the people who knew about the agreement of our lolo's are already dead, and the successor of the land send us a letter of ejectment through her lawyer. The demand letter said we occupied the land illegaly and demanded us to pay reasonable amount to the complainant due to our illegal occupancy.
Now my question is, since they have the document to prove their ownership of the land..can we question the legal execution of the title as our defense, in connection to the RA 6657?
Please need your help urgently..
Thanks,
Jonathan
