Public warned on buying govt lands
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) warned the public against buying lands in areas covered by the government’s agroforestry program, saying these are public forest lands that are inalienable or could not be disposed of.
“Any part of a proclaimed protected area is classified as public forestland and could not be in any manner disposed of, much less sold as a titled property,” Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said in a statement.
Paje issued the warning after authorities have discovered a massive land- fraud scheme involving an Antipolo City-based group selling lands located within the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL), which was declared a protected area by virtue of Proclamation 296 signed by President Benigno Aquino 3rd in 2011.
Formerly known as the Marikina Watershed Reservation, the UMRBPL is a 26,126-hectare protected area covering the upper reaches of the Marikina watershed in the province of Rizal, flowing through Antipolo City and the towns of Baras, Rodriguez, San Mateo and Tanay.
The new land scam has come to public attention after GMA 7’s investigative program “Imbestigador” featured Vanguard for Resourcefulness and Self-Reliance Livelihood and Housing Foundation Inc. (VRS Foundation), which was reportedly involved in the selling of lands within the UMRBPL.
In an entrapment operation held on February 20 at the group’s office in Antipolo City, VRS Foundation officer Juanito Sta. Maria was arrested after receiving marked money
from a DENR asset, who posed as buyer of a real property being sold by the foundation.
The operation was carried out by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police and the DENR led by Assistant Secretary for Internal Audit and Anti-Corruption Daniel Nicer.
Further investigations revealed that VRS Foundation was also engaged in buying Certificates of Stew- ardship Contracts (CSCs) from upland farmers taking part in DENR’s Integrated Social Forestry Program (ISFP), and would use these CSCs as bases to resell plots of lands in the guise of “transfer of rights.”
Started in the 1980s, ISFP grants a 25-year stewardship contract to qualified forest occupants, allowing them to settle and till the upland areas; in return they agree to protect and reforest these lands.
Paje, however, said that under the ISFP regulations CSCs cannot be assigned or transferred without permission from the DENR secretary.
“Rights to ISF areas cannot be transferred, sold or even titled; more so if they are inside protected areas,” he said.
Paje called on all other victims to come forward and file charges against the foundation, urging them to report to Nicer’s office any unlawful sale of public land, especially those involving DENR people.
JAMES KONSTANTIN GALVEZ