MCIAA land deal raised before Du30

CEBU, Philippines - After filing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman, anti-graft crusader and businessman Crisologo Saavedra Jr. has brought to the attention of President Rodrigo Duterte the alleged overpricing in the P590-million land acquisition of Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority.

In his letter addressed to Duterte, Saavedra claimed that the officials of the MCIAA, a government - owned and controlled corporation, connived with private individuals to appropriate multi-million pesos in taxpayers' money for personal use.

"(This) is an insult to the Presidential campaign (and) promise to stop corruption in six months," he stated.

His complaint came following the transaction entered into between the MCIAA officials headed by its general manager Paul Villarete and the sellers of the over 40,000-square meter lot, which is adjacent to the Waterfront Hotel-Mactan and is being leased out by MCIAA to cargo companies. A portion of the property is also used as access road to and from the airport.

Saavedra alleged that the price of the lot was jacked up to P13, 980 per square meter from the original price of P3, 500 per square meter posted prior to the signing of a compromise agreement, which stemmed from a civil case involving MCIAA and the owners of the property, Eduarda Patalinghug and Maximo Pulvera.

Saavedra said the transaction entered into was "grossly disadvantageous" and has caused "undue injury" to the government, thus, violating Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act). He said the MCIAA paid P590 million for the 42, 329-square meter lot when only 37, 038 square meters can be delivered and titled to the MCIAA because 5, 291 square meters of which is actually owned by a certain Anatalia Booc, who is not part of the compromise agreement and did not sell her share.

He said all the parties who signed the compromise agreement decided not to agree on the P3, 500 per square meter but to the P14, 000.

Saavedra said it would not have happened if MCIAA officials were diligent in their duty to protect the taxpayers' money.

A copy of the letter was also furnished to the Department of Transportation and Communication, to which the MCIA is attached. MCIAA through its legal manager Glenn Napuli earlier contended that it had to negotiate for the acquisition of the lot due to some considerations, including future expansion of MCIA which may be adversely affected should it lose the lot.

He recounted that the Pulvera family initially proposed to sell the lot at P25, 000 per square meter. On April 5, 2016, MCIAA and Pulvera family arrived at P700 million as an acceptable amount.

MCIAA, however, pushed the following day to lower the amount to P590 million, to which all the parties agreed.

The Court of Appeals then approved the compromise agreement which obligated MCIAA to release the payment of P590 million to the Pulvera family. Napuli said MCIAA was left with no choice but to adhere to the directive of the appellate court.

As to the participation of Booc, Napuli said there was no document presented or submitted to the courts regarding the claims of Booc.

"Ms. Booc entered into the picture only during the time when MCIAA is already required to pay the Pulvera family. Ms. Booc never participated in the proceedings in the court nor made MCIAA aware of her existence," he said.

He added that Booc was not an heir of Pulvera and the government is bound to deal directly with the rightful heirs.  (FREEMAN)