Gov’t execs resist use of lot by rich Chinese man’s heirs

By Isagani S. Liporada

BAGUIO CITY – Some things do last beyond one’s lifetime.

Yu Hwa Ping, the businessman who never gave up his quest to develop a parcel of lot along Chuntug Street had reason to celebrate early 2010 when the Office of the President granted his wish to secure title over a controversial property a few months before he passed on.

But the City Government, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cordillera, and the Department of Public Works and Highways-Cordillera won’t make it easy on his heirs.

In an ad hoc committee meeting August 9, City government together with DPWH-Cordillera head IrineoGallato and a representative from the regional DENR agreed to stop “on again, off again” development tries in the area.

The city officials present in the informal talks included legal officer Melchor Carlos Rabanes, planning officer Evelyn Cayat, city buildings and architecture chief Oscar Flores, city engineer Leo Bernardez

During the weekly Ugnayan hosted by DZEQ ‘Radio ng Bayan’, mayor Mauricio Domogan said “team members are coordinating and will do everything to protect government interest over the area.”

He added, “The group is currently studying angles on how to assert the area as easement, a road-right-of-way according to DPWH’s earlier assertion.”

The City Legal Office Feb. 22 last year, filed motion for reconsideration over the OP’s reversal of the DENR findings the Hwa Ping title “was not regularly and validly issued.”

The MR, which remains pending in the OP to date, was filed in behalf of Flores and DPWH secretary HermogenesEbdane, the appellees.

Apparently, the OP failed to appreciate a DENR report dated May 16, 2008 pointing out the Original Certificate of Title (OCT) No. P-2607 issued to Hwa Ping encroached upon a DPWH-identified road-right-of-way.

They prayed the OP “consider the aforementioned report as it would appear [Hwa Ping] was not candid enough to disclose the matter to the OP.”

“If the document was revealed,” they added, “the decision sought to be reconsidered would have been rendered in a different tune.”

Earlier, DENR issued Special Order No. 14 creating a team to conduct investigation for possible filing of cancellation proceedings over the title issued on a RROW along Chuntug.

Former DENR-Cordillera regional executive director Samuel Penafiel named Atty. Joseph Humiding (chair), Atty. Cleo Andrada, Engr. Wilbert Mangliwan, Evelyn Wales, Norbert Aquino, and Filipinas Mallare members of the team.

The DENR team reported the title issued to Hwa Ping “is not appropriate for disposition under Townsite Sales Application (TSA) as it straddles the RROW of Chuntug identified as secondary national road.”

On top of that, the appeal tipped the OP: there were nil Presidential Proclamations reclassifying the questioned property measuring 360 sq. m. into an alienable and disposable land.

Cayat said, “It was agreed during our ad hoc talks that DPWH will dig deep into their records to substantiate our common claim that the area is meant for RROW.”

“Meantime, the legal officers of the departments involved shall be coordinating with each other if only to beef up government’s ultimate goal to have the lot reverted for public purpose.