Lot swap eyed for Balili deal

CEBU, Philippines - A member of the Provincial Board suggested that the Balili estate could offer their other properties as compensation to the province should there be no money returned to the Capitol as payment for the portions of the Balili property found to be submerged and mangrove areas.

This after the estate said it doesn’t have enough money to pay back the P37.8 million the court ordered it to return to the Capitol.

“There has to be compensation to the province. Maybe laing property nga worth P37.8 million,” Board member Grecilda Sanchez, who heads the PB’s committee on provincial and municipal properties, told reporters yesterday.

It was Romeo Balili, the estate’s executor, who said that there was no more money left to be returned to the Capitol since the amount had been distributed to the Balili heirs.

She, however, made it clear that it would now be the decision of the court as to how the province will be compensated.

The Regional Trial Court earlier ordered the Balili estate to return to the Province of Cebu the P37.81 million it paid them for the portions of the property that were la-ter found to be underwater and a mangrove area.

The 24.7-hectare Balili property, located in barangay Tinaan, Naga City, was purchased by the Capitol during the previous administration at P99.6 million.

Sanchez also welcomed the decision of the court.

“Kwarta man gyud na sa katawhan. Daghan na pud kaayo ta mahimo aning kwartaha,” she said.

In a separate interview, Provincial Legal Officer Orvi Ortega said the province will still wait for the final decision of the court, since the Balili estate may yet file a motion for reconsideration.

“The execution will follow after ma-final na ang decision,” he told The FREEMAN.

Meanwhile, the Provincial General Services Office reported that the Capitol has only utilized only over a hectare of the Balili property.

Jone Siegfred Sepe, officer-in-charge of the PGSO, said the Veterinarian’s Office is using at least 1,000 square meters of the total land area as a stock farm for its goat dispersal program, while another 1,000 square meters is being used for the Agriculture Department’s Vermicomposting project.

The one-hectare fishpond inside the Barili property is also being utilized for milkfish (bangus) production.

Sepe explained the province cannot build any structures on the Balili property because it is still under litigation.

A criminal case remains pending before the  Sandiganbayan against former governor and now third district Representative Gwen Garcia over the alleged anomalous purchase of the Balili property. —/BRP (FREEMAN)