Claimant never paid land taxes

MANILA, Philippines - Suspected landgrabber Wilfredo Torres did not pay even a single centavo of real estate tax on a 24-hectare prime Quezon City land before a court awarded the property to him early this year.

Neither did his mother, the late Dominga Sumulong, from whom he supposedly inherited the property.

City assessor Jose Castro has given this information to the House committee on justice, which is looking into the dispute over the mostly residential land located near Visayas Avenue.

Before Regional Trial Court Branch 224 Judge Tita Marilyn Payoyo-Villordon recognized Torres as the owner of the disputed property, Castro said his office has not issued tax assessment papers to Torres or his mother.

Since no tax assessment has been issued, no real property tax payment has been made, he said, adding that tax assessment documents are proof of property ownership.

Castro told the committee chaired by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. that it is the thousands of homeowners and owners of business establishments located in the land Torres is claiming who have been religiously paying annual real estate taxes on their lots.

He added that as far as he was concerned, it is these homeowners and businessmen who are the legitimate owners of the contested property.

One of the affected residents is Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero III, who said if anyone knocks on his door with an eviction notice, he would call a hospital to have his visitor’s head examined.

During the justice committee’s hearing on Wednesday, Torres’ business partner and agent, Samuel Rodriguez, presented some papers he claimed were tax assessments covering the disputed land and which were issued by the Caloocan City assessor’s office.

Committee members were puzzled why Caloocan City would make a tax assessment on a property located in Quezon City. They decided to invite the Caloocan City assessor to their next hearing next week.

Castro said he was forced to issue seven sets of tax assessments to Torres early this year after Villordon threatened him with arrest.

This was after the judge ordered the arrest and detention of Elbert Quilala, who heads the city’s register of deeds office and who initially refused to obey Villordon’s order for the issuance of seven reconstituted titles to Torres, he said.

Castro said the assessments correspond to the seven titles. He estimated that real estate taxes due on the entire 24-hectare property amount to P7 million a year.

The justice committee found out that Torres and Rodriguez are now fighting over the land and payments made by squatters after Villordon recognized the suspected landgrabber as the owner of the property.

Rodriguez admitted collecting sums ranging from P5,000 to P52,000 from 40 squatter families. He did not say if he shared the money with Torres, who said he has withdrawn the authority he has given his agent to administer the disputed property.