Tiu claims getting 'threats' to declare Batangas property not his

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) — Businessman Antonio "Tony' Tiu, accused of being Vice President Jejomar Binay's dummy, said he is being pressured to admit that he is not the owner of the controversial 150-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas.

Tiu accused senators Antonio Trillanes IV, Alan Peter Cayetano and Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III of being biased in assuming that Binay is the real owner of the estate.

He admitted that upon acquiring the property, he realized some structures were unregistered and undocumented, but decried that it became an issue at the Senate hearing last Thursday.

"Part na 'yan ng threat sa'kin na kapag hindi ako sumang-ayon, lahat ng government agencies hahabol sa'kin, sa mga kagustuhan ng mga senador na sabihin itong property ay hindi akin," Tiu said in an interview with ABS-CBN's Bandila on Tuesday night.

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While Tiu, chief executive officer of Greenergy Holdings Inc., did not make any reference to a particular senator, he insisted that when his company realized some of the buildings lacked official permits, he and his staff started working on registering them.

"Yung mga may permit na, nailipat na sa Sunchamp, yung mga wala pa, pinapatuwid natin, pinapa-correct. Kasi yung mga pagkakamali ng iba, hindi natin puwede saluhin na ganun lang din. Kailangan natin ituwid," he said.

In 2013, Tiu folded Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corp. into Greenergy. Sunchamp is the registered owner of the Rosario agro-tourism park, which it bought for P446 million to be paid "by installment."

The businessman also blasted the senators for banking on hearsay in their accusations linking him with the vice president.

"Ang problema kasi ang pinapakita ko is ebidensya, ang gamit nila ay haka-haka, kung may ebidensiya naman na ipapakita ang labanan naman dito, sino ang nagasasabi ng totoo?" Tiu said.

Tiu added that in the next Senate hearing this coming Thursday, he will bring documents that would prove that he owns the vast property.

"E nung last hearing di ba nag one-minute break pa para tawagan ko ang mga abogado na dalhin ang mga dokumento? So hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi nakarating sa mga senador," Tiu said. "So this coming hearing, sisiguraduhin ko na bitbit ko."

Senators claimed that Tiu could not provide documents showing that the property is under his name.

The businessman said that among the documents that he will present in the next hearing are the memorandum of agreement between Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corp. and Laureano Gregorio Jr. and the tax declaration that his company has assumed control of the 150-hectare property in Rosario town.

"Mayroon tayong memorandum of agreement, meron tayong mga tax [declarations], 'yun ang nagpapatunay na tayo yung may right over the property," he said.

"Actually, ngayon, tayo naman ang may right na nagpapatakbo ng property. Pero hinihintay natin na ma-accomplish na 'yung kailangan n'yang ma-accomplish to deliver the title bago natin i-release yung other tranches of payments," Tiu said.

"Within a period of two years, dapat a-transfer niya yung titulo sa pangalan ng Sunchamp," Tiu said.

Tiu early denied that the property is a hacienda and insisted that it is a venue for agri-tourism.