SC to gov’t: Answer petition vs sale of P60-B Manila Bay property

The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the government to answer a petition seeking the reconveyance of a 44-hectare reclaimed area in Manila Bay that was allegedly illegally sold to a private firm 30 years ago.

The property, where Entertainment City now stands, was sold to the Manila Bay Development Corp. (MBDC).

In a resolution promulgated last June 29 but received by the parties only recently, the SC directed the respondents – the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), the Commission on Audit, the Register of Deeds for Parañaque City, the Light Railway Transit Authority and MBDC – to submit their comments on a petititon filed by 1-SAGIP party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta last April that sought to void the sale of the property that is now worth about P60 billion.

They were given 10 days from receipt of notice to comply with the directive.

The SC acted on the petition after Marcoleta informed the Court in a manifestation last week his supposed discovery that no original certificate of title was actually issued by the Parañaque Register of Deeds covering the 44 hectares.

Marcoleta said the property sold by the then Public Estates Authority (PEA), now the PRA, to MBDC formed part of a 190-hectare property that is covered by an illegal title issued by the Register of Deeds of Parañaque.

The subject property, which stands on Roxas Boulevard and known as Central Business Park II, was sold to MBDC in August 1988 for P472,037,050.