MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the development of two-hectare Mile Long property in Makati City to help fund military and uniformed personnel pension.
Duterte issued Administrative Order No. 21, released Thursday, ordering the Privatization and Management Office to enter into a contractual deal with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority to enable the latter to “administer, manage and redevelop Mile Long property.”
The agreement involves the parcels of land covered by Transfer Certificate Title NOs. (458365) S-77242 issued by the Registry of Deeds of City of Makati.
Mile Long was previously occupied by Sunvar Realty Development Corp., owned by the Rufino and Prieto clans.
They also own the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the daily that Duterte has previously criticized for supposedly “attacking” his administration.
The Department of Budget and Management is ordered to propose and study measures “so that the proceeds from the development of the Mile Long property shall be used to fund the military programs of the Government.”
This includes funding the pension program of military and uniformed personnel.
“The development of the Mile Long property, considering its location in one of the country’s premier business districts, will greatly contribute to the generation of revenues for priority programs of the government, including, among others, the pension program of military and uniformed personnel,” the order read.
Duterte also ordered the creation of a Technical Working Group to look into the redevelopment plan of the property composed of representatives from the following agencies:
- Department of Finance
- Department of Budget and Management
- Bureau of Treasury
- Privatization Management Office
- Bases Conversion and Development Authority
In 2017, a Makati court ordered the eviction of Sunvar Realty from the Mile Long property.
Solicitor General Jose Calida personally handed the notice to vacate the property to Sunvar.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez in April 2018 said that his department may privatize a part of Mile Long property. — Kristine Joy Patag