SC returns control of Yulo ranch to gov’t

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has returned to the government the ownership of the 40,000-hectare Yulo King Ranch (YKR) in Busuanga, Palawan, which is among the alleged ill-gotten assets of the Marcoses. 

In a 20-page decision, the third division of the high court reversed the June 2009 and April 2010 rulings of the Fifth Division of the Sandiganbayan that declared Philippine Agri-Business Center Corp. (PABC) as the owner of the property.

The government sequestered the ranch from the late businessman and known Marcos crony Luis Yulo in 1986.

The high tribunal said the Sandiganbayan erred in giving weight to PABC’s claim over the property after the government failed to present evidence to dispute its ownership.

The SC noted that the property forms part of the land covered by Presidential Proclamation 1387, which establishes parcels of land in Busuanga as public domain and Presidential Decree 12, which reserves lands intended for grazing.

“Without clear, positive and absolute evidence that respondent PABC has a better right than petitioner republic, such genuine issue of fact could not be resolved because we simply do not have the facts to rule on the issue,” the SC said.