OSG hit for Las Piñas land case delay

The Office of the Solicitor General was accused yesterday by a litigant of allegedly delaying the long-drawn litigation involving a P28 billion worth of contested 99-hectare property in Las Piñas City.

Private individuals Lorenzo Gana and Jualiana Carlos, to whom the property was granted, said OSG lawyers were "employing dilatory tactics" by seeking extensions twice – from Nov. 16 to Dec. 1 and from this day to Dec. 15.

In a motion filed in the Supreme Court, the two said the resignation of the solicitor handling the case was a lame excuse, adding this is just a "contumacious ploy on the part of the government to further delay this case and obtain an unfair advantage."

"The mere fact that the handling solicitor resigned from the OSG is not a valid reason for the delay unless the OSG expects this Honorable Court to believe that it is only the handling solicitor that is familiar with this case, and not the Solicitor General who argued this case," they stated.

The STAR called up the office of Solicitor General Ricardo Galvez for his comment but was told that he was out of town.

Firestone Ceramics, which is owned by businessman Marinao Nocom, lost the multi-billion peso land dispute and sought a reconsideration from the Supreme Court. He was joined by the OSG which claimed the land was the government’s as it is a forest land which became alienable and disposable only in 1968.

The case involving the 99 hectares of undeveloped raw land in Barangay Tindig ng Mangga (Las Piñas) which real estate agents estimate to be worth only P3 billion, had thrice been decided by the Supreme Court and awarded to Gana and Carlos. – Delon Porcalla