Maambong: Balilis knew of problems with property

CEBU, Philippines - For selling a property that they know cannot be titled, the Balilis are “sellers in bad faith,” said the members of the Provincial Board.

During the third ad hoc committee hearing on the sale of the controversial Balili property in Tinaan, Naga, PB Member Victor Maambong clarified with the representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) whether it is true that the Balilis applied for a special permit for “Other Lawful Purposes” to use of a parcel of their lot in Naga.

Lawyer Trannie Ferrer of the DENR legal Division confirmed that there was indeed a special permit applied and issued to the Balilis, but the particular lot is yet to be determined through a survey conducted by the department.

The special permit was applied subsequent to the issuance of the certificate for free patent which was done way back in the 1970s.

This special permit is only applied if a claimant of a lot knows that the land in his possession could not be titled either because it is classified as timber land or a public agricultural land.

The fact that the Balilis applied for a special permit, they know that something is wrong with their lot and that they admit it is erroneously titled for some yet to be determined reasons, the provincial board stressed yesterday.

Ferrer is certain that the application for special permit was filed. The DENR however asked to be given until Monday to give the exact date and the name of the applicant.

Maambong said that this information is vital because the titles of the lots that the Balili family sold to the province are supposedly their proof of ownership.

“They have the knowledge then to warn their probable buyer which they could have failed to do,” Maambong said.

The initial result of the DENR survey of the property in Naga estimates that around 90 percent of the whole Balili property is classified as timberland, therefore, belongs and must be reverted back to the state.

Of the 90 percent, Maambong said that the particular lot issued with special permit could be part of it. This may prove true their accusations that the Balilis are sellers in bad faith for selling property that are not legally theirs.

The DENR has already followed up the status of their endorsement for Annulment and Reversion of 21 titles in Region 7. Out of the 21 recommended for voiding, eight are owned by spouses Amparo and Luis Balili.

Authorities are still investigating and determining whether the eight titles endorsed for annulment are part of the lot purchased by the province.

Meanwhile, Engineer Anthony Sususco retracted his statement that board member Juan Bolo received the reports prepared and submitted by the technical working group created by the Appraisal Committee for the Balili deal.

During the previous hearings, Sususco said that Bolo’s office received all the reports containing the results of the ocular inspections and other studies done by the technical working group which put Bolo before speculator’s impression that he knows that there is a portion of the lot in Naga that is submerged.

Yesterday, Sususco explained that he thought that the folder delivered to Bolo’s office contained everything and not only the resolution approved by the board to purchase the lot.

He said it was only after he made the statement that he found out the log book on Bolo’s office is stating that what was delivered and received was the resolution alone.

Maambong said that Sususco’s retraction now implies that Bolo has no idea that the lot in Naga was submerged; therefore, it is not completely Bolo’s negligence of duty.

Maambong said that this denial from Sususco was not anticipated by the board and the sudden turn of his stand would still be subject to their discretion whether to believe it or not.

The board also tried to trace the release of the disbursement vouchers allegedly paid in Bolo’s office.

Maambong examined all offices where the disbursement vouchers has passed through to know whether there were other people or offices involved in the release of the around P98 million payment for the Balili lot. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)