Widow, agent dare trader to prove ownership of disputed real properties

CEBU, Philippines – The widow and her real estate agent who were earlier charged for perjury and false testimony by a Chinese businessman denied the charges lodged against them and lashed back at the trader by challenging him to show proof of ownership over the disputed real properties situated here in the city.

Rosario Paypa, a real estate agent, appointed by widow Maria Paz Lim to be her attorney-in-fact to represent her in the reconstitution of the certificates of title of the properties and to represent her during trial, both denied the commission of the two crimes lodged against them by Kerwin Lim before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office.

Paypa in an interview with The FREEMAN said that she never lied in court when she testified that the properties being questioned by Kerwin actually belong to Maria Paz and not to the corporation, Glory Commercial Corporation, where Kerwin is the current vice president.

Maria Paz is the wife of the former minority stockholder of the corporation, Henry Lim Ormoc.

Kerwin said that the corporation is the registered owner of Lot No. 7496-A consisting of 656 square meters covered by Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-36776 issued by the Register of Deeds of Cebu City.

Another lot, Lot No. 7497 consisting of 315 square meters covered by TCT No. T-36775 issued by the Register of Deeds of Cebu City, is likewise owned by the corporation.

Paypa however said that the lands in question were already sold to the couple Henry and Maria Paz in May 25, 1978 when Antonio Lim Tanhu, the president of the corporation, was reportedly authorized to sell the said properties for a consideration of P500,000.

"The corporation is the registered owner of the said properties and the corporation never lost or destroyed and are, all the time, in the possession of the corporation since the time the properties were purchased up to the present," Kerwin said in his six-page affidavit.

But Paypa downplayed such claim and instead dared Kerwin to show the original title of owner's duplicate.

She said that they have the copy of the original title, only that it was either lost or destroyed prompting them to ask the court for the issuance of a duplicate title which the court granted.

On April 15 of last year, Regional Trial Court Branch 5 presiding Judge Douglas Marigomen directed the Register of Deeds of Cebu City to issue Maria Paz a new owner's duplicate copy similar to the original copy and declared the original copy as null and void in view of the issuance of a new owner's duplicate certificate of title.

Such issuance prompted the corporation to seek the annulment of the said judgment, and that it is still pending before the Court of Appeals.

Paypa also denied she is lying in court as she is just "merely following the instruction of Maria Paz" when she testified that the latter is the owner of the said properties.

"This is false because the corporation is owned by several stockholders and not owned by the family of Maria Paz Lim or that of her late husband," Kerwin added.

Paypa also denied having testified that the said corporation does not exist anymore and that each incorporator is already dead.

Kerwin countered by saying that the corporation is still existing, to date, and that incorporators Lim Teck Chuan, the president, and Eng Chong Leonardo, the treasurer, are still very much alive. – Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)