Peace of society requires bar against stale demands

The time-honored rule anchored on public policy is that relief will be denied to a litigant whose claim or demand has become stale, or who has acquiesced for an unreasonable length of time, or who has not been vigilant or who has slept on his rights either by negligence, folly or inattention. In other words, public policy requires, for the peace of society, the discouragement of claims grown stale for non-assertion; thus laches is an impediment to the assertion or enforcement of a right which has become, under the circumstances, inequitable or unfair to permit. [G.R. No. 112519. November 14, 1996]