PCGG chief: SC ruling bolsters claim on Payanig land

MANILA, Philippines - The Presidential Commission on Good Government said yesterday that a recent Supreme Court (SC) decision declaring a PCGG-controlled firm exempt from paying real estate taxes on the 18.4-hectare “Payanig sa Pasig” land is additional proof of the firm’s ownership of the property.

“The SC ruling recognizes the fact that the Payanig sa Pasig property is government property and thus exempt from paying real estate taxes. The Sandiganbayan has also upheld our ownership of the property,” PCGG chairman Andres Bautista told The STAR in an interview.

He said there is no question on the PCGG’s ownership of the Payanig property through its control of the Mid-Pasig Land Development Corp. (MPLDC), one of the companies under the Independent Realty Corp. (IRC) Group of Companies surrendered by the late self-confessed Marcos crony, Jose Yao Campos, in 1987.

Bautista, who was dean of the Far Eastern University College of Law and a top executive of a leading property developer before he joined the PCGG, said that as far as the country’s courts of law was concerned, the reconstituted title held by MPLDC declaring its ownership of the 18.4-hectare property was valid and genuine.

He said that the PCGG has all the right to exercise ownership of the entire Payanig complex, including deploying security guards to secure the property.

Bautista said a move by Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson in bringing in his security guards and declare his ownership of the Payanig sa Pasig complex will not be allowed to happen.

Since Singson used armed men and intimidation to take over the whole property, Bautista said they will seek the assistance of other government agencies as well as the media.

Bautista said they started coordinating with the Department of Justice Saturday, a day after Singson brought in at least 40 security guards and tried to order the guards of PCGG and IRC to leave the premises Friday night.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima will also bring the matter to the attention of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, who has administrative jurisdiction over the Ilocos Sur governor, he said.

Bautista also clarified that he had not met Singson in a meeting over his claim on the said property. He said PCGG Commissioner for Legal Affairs Gerard Mosquera was the one who discussed the issue with Singson.

The SC ruled that the Pasig City government’s sale of the Payanig property in 2005 was null and void due to the failure of the city government to pay real property taxes.

The PCGG started efforts to take over the Payanig property after the Sandiganbayan issued a ruling last April upholding the PCGG’s ownership of the land and denying a motion for intervention filed by Blemp Commercial, a firm controlled by Singson, saying Blemp failed to satisfy requirements provided under the Rules of Court to show proof that it has a legal interest in the case.