Eddie Gil defies eviction order

Former presidential aspirant Eddie Gil has defied a final court eviction order and vowed to "fight until death" to resist any attempt to take over his former presidential campaign headquarters which he claimed he inherited from his father.

"There will be bloodshed if they insist on taking over the property I inherited from my parents," Gil, who would have finished last in last year’s presidential race had his candidacy been allowed, told The STAR after a court hearing on his motion to oppose an eviction order issued by the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 34.

A confrontation broke out last Friday between Gil’s supporters and workers sent by JWS Development Corp., the company claiming ownership of the building.

Gil, through his lawyer Confesor Sansano, told Judge Ofelia Marquez of the Regional Trial Court Branch 216 that they resisted the takeover because there was a pending case before the Supreme Court, which was filed last April 26, asking for a retrial.

A ruling from the High Tribunal will certainly affect the lower court’s eviction order.

Sansano said his client’s deed to the building is genuine and that he was denied due consideration by the lower court.

Lawyers of the JWS were not present during yesterday’s hearing.

Judge Marquez gave the company 10 days to answer Gil’s argument.

Last Friday, the metropolitan trial court, through sheriff Gerry Ocampo, served the eviction notice to the occupants of the Isang Bansa Isang Diwa headquarters, located along EDSA and Quezon Avenue.

Ocampo said the property had already been turned over to JWS and it’s now up to them to secure it.

Gil spokeswoman Elizabeth Samson said they have secured the building to keep out people sent by JWS. "We have deployed men inside the building, " she said.

Samson also furnished The STAR with a copy of the reconstituted title to the disputed property and a certification from Quezon City registrar Samuel Cleofe that the title to the building is genuine.

She also provided documents which claimed they had obtained a building and fencing permit and had faithfully paid their real property taxes since 1977.

A check with city treasurer Victor Endriga indeed showed that Gil had paid the real property taxes since 1977 up to 2004 but the city assessor’s office listed the property as having multiple claimants.

The JWS also paid taxes on the disputed property since 1996.

Gil drew public attention during the election campaign after he promised Filipino voters a million pesos each for their votes.