Did Bolo get report on Balili?: Vice governor wants proof of receipt

CEBU, Philippines - Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez yesterday asked members of the Cebu Provincial Appraisal Committee to prove that beleaguered board member Juan Bolo received a copy of the report of the Technical Working Group about the physical characteristics of the Balili property and withheld such information to the others.

Sanchez said that CPAC chairman Anthony Sususco should present a copy of his transmittal letter to Bolo showing proof that it was duly received by the latter.

According to Sanchez, without such proof, the members of the appraisal committee appear to be the people responsible for withholding very vital information regarding the property that would have guided responsible officials in making the right decision.

 Sanchez said Sususco and his members Roy Salubre and Eloguio Pelayre have been invited to once again appear before the provincial board in today’s special session.

“The appraisal committee should show a covering letter or transmittal letter showing that the report of the TWG was forwarded to Bolo,” Sanchez said.

Sususco claimed that the TWG report was made an integral part of their resolution, which the appraisal committee allegedly forwarded to Bolo.

Sanchez said he is convinced that something was really hidden, but the investigation should be completed to pinpoint who are responsible for hiding vital information.

Asked if the members of the appraisal committee should be placed under preventive suspension, Sanchez said the fact-finding committee created by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia should be given time to finish its investigation.

He said the team headed by National Bureau of Investigation regional director Medardo De Lemos should not be preempted.

Sanchez is also hoping that the provincial board can already conclude their own investigation after today’s special session.

According to Sanchez, the ethics committee will tackle the result of their fact finding and assured that suspension will be meted to whoever member of the board is found to responsible for the fiasco.

The TWG report showed that some Capitol officials are aware that a portion of the 25-hectare Balili property that the provincial government bought in Tinaan, Naga last year is submerged in seawater and planted with mangroves.

The TWG was sent by the appraisal committee to conduct ocular inspection and gather opinion values to determine the fair market value of the property.

In its report received by Sususco’s office on July 6, 2007, the members of the TWG reported that the property is situated at the seaside and has fishponds.

The report also included the vicinity map of the property, which shows the mangrove plantation, fishpond and the seawaters.

The report further described the property to be located 50 meters more or less from the national road and is more or less 24 hectares situated on the seaside adjacent to the port of the Apo Cement Corporation.

According to the report, the topography of the lot is flat and have a developed resort but no longer operational.

 The information on the fishpond and the seaside however were not mentioned in the final resolution of the appraisal committee.

 The committee’s report contained in its resolution no. 23 series of 2007 only mentioned that the “parcels of land subject of appraisal are contiguous and it is accessible from the national highway, passing thru a 3-meter wide mixed cemented and all-weather road.”

“The topography of the land is generally plain. Basic facilities are available in the area,” the appraisal committee report added.

It also listed a concrete fence, swimming pool and four buildings as improvements in the area. In its report, the appraisal committee claimed to have personally conducted an ocular inspection of the property to determine the different kinds of improvements therein.

The Capitol purchased the lot in 2008 for P98.9 million without conducting the survey. It later found out that 9.4 hectares are submerged in seawaters and planted with mangroves.

The Capitol is already demanding the return of the P37 million from the Balili estate part of the total amount they paid equivalent to the submerged area. 

Pabling Defends Capitol

Cebu 2nd District Rep. Pablo “Pabling” Garcia yesterday defended the Provincial Government in the purchase of the controversial Balili property.

In a press conference at his law office, the veteran legislator said the purchase was legitimate because the titles of the lot were “clean” and lacked annotation that would refer to a pending court case of any adverse claims against the property. “Under the law when you buy a titled property, you need not go behind the title,” Garcia said, adding that “you are not required to do.”Garcia said that calls for an investigation on the transaction would instead point at the inefficiencies of DENR, the government agency which issued the patents for the beach lot.—with Gary Lao/NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)