Dagupan holds no title for Awai land, 16 others
CITY AUDITOR’S REPORT
THE 29-hectare land bought by the Dagupan government in 2002 supposedly for a sanitary landfill during the first term of former Mayor Benjamin Lim is one of 17 assets acquired but are not titled in the city’s name.
This was uncovered by the Commission on Audit (COA) in its audit report ending December 31, 2013 submitted by City Auditor Virgilio Quinto to May Belen Fernandez, a copy of which was obtained by THE PUNCH.
COA discovered that some of the properties were bought by the city government years ago without any proper documentation made.
The City Assessor is now verifying the records as audited.
Section 23 (2) Title I-B, Book, 1987 of the Administrative Code states: “In the case of deeds to the property purchased by any government agency, the Commission shall require a certificate of title entered in favor of the Government or other evidence satisfactory to it that the title is in the Government.”
Still, COA said the validity of ownership of land recorded in the books of account of the city amounting to P24.9 million could not be ascertained due to the absence of Transfer Certificate of Titles (TCTs) in the name of the city government.
Verification of records made by the COA showed that these properties were never covered by TCT nor Tax Declarations of the former owners.
The controversial land in Awai, San Jacinto, covering 296,932 square meters, that was bought by the city from one Jose Mariano Cuna for P16.1 million is the biggest among these 17 untitled properties.
MORE THAN P16.1M
Findings of the City Auditor showed that in addition to the P16.1 million paid to Cuna, the city incurred an additional P8.5 million in expenses in connection with that transaction, but Cuna never transferred ownership of the property to Dagupan.
It was later discovered that at the time of the transaction, the land was already the subject of litigation before the Department of Agrarian Reform Arbitration Board (DARAB) filed by its tenants against the heirs.
A case has been filed against Lim and Cuna by a private citizen and is pending before the Ombudsman.
An investigation is also set to be conducted by the Blue Ribbon Committee of the Sangguniang Panlungsod headed by Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo.
UNTITLED PROPERTIES
Among those discovered properties to be owned by the city and without titles are lands acquired from Dr. Ricardo B. Villamil located in Dawel-Pantal-Lucao, lots occupied by the Malimgas Market and the CSI Market Square.
Still, some records do not bear names of original owners.
COA recommended that the city government exhaust all possible means to document the legality of ownership of the lots through a TCT in the name of the City Government.—LVM
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