Ex-DOJ chief called to House probe

MANILA, Philippines – The House committee on justice has invited former solicitor general and Justice Secretary chief Agnes Devanadera to its next hearing on a 23.7-hectare disputed prime land in Quezon City land.

The committee, chaired by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., issued the invitation after learning that it was during Devanadera’s watch as solicitor general in 2006 when her office failed to appeal a court decision awarding the contested property to suspected landgrabber Wilfredo Torres.

The panel also invited a certain Mr. Nacionales, who is reportedly a clerk in the solicitor general’s office.

Assistant Solicitor General Eric Panga told the Tupas committee on Tuesday that Nacionales appeared to have hidden the decision of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Tita Marilyn Payoyo-Villordon recognizing Torres as the owner of the disputed land.

He said the clerk’s name appears on the court’s copy of the decision that was supposedly received by the OSG on July 4, 2006.

“The office was supposed to have received the decision, but no such document existed in our files,” he said.

He said they came to know of the ruling one year later when Villordon issued a writ of execution ordering that the contested property be turned over to Torres.

He added that their office failed to appeal Villordon’s decision because they were not aware of it, if indeed they received a copy of the ruling.

Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas told his colleagues in the committee that Solicitor General Anselmo Cadiz informed him in a phone call that Nacionales is now the subject of an administrative investigation.

Several committee members, including Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero III, called for more serious charges against Nacionales.

Escudero is a resident of one of at least six subdivisions located within the disputed land. The residents and scores of establishment owners are in danger of being dispossessed of their properties.

Tupas said he could not understand why Villordon awarded the land to Torres when in May 2005, she denied the claimant’s petition to be issued titles because of a report of the Land Registration Commission (now Land Registration Authority) that the mother title that Torres was invoking was spurious.

“In fact, she cited the report in her decision of denial,” he said.

He said the judge made a complete turnaround one year later.

Upon Villordon’s orders, Quezon City Register of Deeds chief Elbert Quilala has issued seven reconstituted titles to Torres, while city assessor Jose Castro issued seven tax declarations corresponding to the titles.