Plunder, graft raps lodged vs former, incumbent PRA execs

MANILA, Philippines - Former and incumbent officials of the Philippine Reclamation Authority, formerly Public Estates Authority (PEA), are facing plunder and graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged involvement in a P41-billion land deal anomaly 27 years ago.

Anti-graft crusaders have filed the complaint against the respondents for their “deliberate deceptions and conspiracies” with a property developer to allegedly defraud the government and the Filipino people in “the biggest scam of (state) asset disposition” involving the sale of an estimated P41-billion estate for only P472 million in 1988.

Also named respondents in the plunder and graft case lodged by the Crusaders against Graft and Corrupt Practices in the Philippines are officials of the Manila Bay Development Corp. (MBDC) for failing to turn the four-hectare property into a business hub over the past 27 years, in violation of the original sale agreement requiring its development by the buyer within five years of acquisition.

Fernando Perito, lead convenor of the group, urged the government to forfeit the prime lot at MBDC’s Central Business Park II along Roxas Boulevard in Parañaque City.

Under Section 9 of the plunder law, the state has the power to recover unlawfully acquired public properties.

Among the respondents in the plunder and graft complaint are PRA chairman Roberto Muldong, general manager Peter Anthony Abaya and members of the board of directors; former general manager Eduardo Zialcita and the chairman and members of the PEA Board in 1988 when the sale was consummated, and the succeeding executives and board directors before the current set of officers.

Also impleaded are members of the MBDC board of directors and its president George Chua, who allegedly signed with then general manager Zialcita the Absolute Deed of Sale covering the deal on Aug. 23, 1988.

Perito noted that at the prevailing market rate of P40,000 per square meter in 1988, the reclamation property totaling 410,467 sq.m. was easily worth P41 billion.

However, PEA sold it for only P1,100 per sq. m. or P472,037,050 on condition that MBDC would develop it in five years’ time.

The MBDC has failed to develop the property in violation of the terms of the 1988 sale agreement.

Perito said the former and current PEA executives are guilty of gross negligence that warrant the filing of plunder and graft charges against them for defrauding the state of an estimated P41 billion.

“To date, the only structure found within the subject property is the Uniwide Mall. All other portions remain undeveloped, save for the construction of Macapagal Boulevard,” Perito said.