OSG urged to probe land titles registered to Chinese nationals

MANILA, Philippines — The House Quad Committee requested the Office of Solicitor General (OSG) on Monday, October 21, to initiate its own investigation into the alleged fraudulent land ownership involving Chinese nationals in the country.

As part of their inquiry into the illegal activities of offshore scam hubs, or POGOs, the House joint committee collected several documents concerning land ownership by Chinese nationals in Pampanga and handed these over to the OSG on Monday.

Lawmakers claimed that Chinese nationals acquired Filipino birth certificates from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) or local civil registrars to illegally obtain land and set up businesses in the Philippines.

According to Quadcom co-chair Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod Partylist), the land identified in Pampanga comprises thousands of hectares, largely controlled by Chinese-owned firms.

Two key personalities mentioned are Chinese nationals Aedy Tai Yang and Willie Ong, who were implicated in questionable land sales with the local government of Mexico, Pampanga.

What documents were handed over? 

Documents submitted to the OSG include the incorporation documents and financial statements of Sunflare Industrial Supply Corp. and Empire 999 Realty Corporation, two companies mostly owned by Chinese nationals involved in property sales.

Yang's birth certificate, marriage certificate and tax declarations were also included in the submission.

Paduano suspects a connection between Yang and dismissed Mexico, Pampanga Mayor Teddy Tumang who was involved in anomalous procurement activities during his tenure as mayor. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte, 2nd District), the joint committee's lead chairperson, also noted that Empire 999 incorporator Ong has 300 land titles in his name.

“They (Chinese nationals) possess fraudulent documents saying that they are all Filipinos. There is a presumption of irregularity in acquiring these properties,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Barbers revealed that some Chinese nationals are allegedly employing Filipino-Chinese citizens as legal fronts for their businesses. 

Unconstitutional ownership. He cited the 1987 Philippine Constitution which limits foreign ownership of corporations under certain industries to 40%. 

Article XII, Sec. 2. “... The State may directly undertake such activities, or it may enter into co-production, joint venture, or production-sharing agreements with Filipino citizens, or corporations or associations at least 60 per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens.” 

Next steps

In turning over the documents, the mega panel urged the OSG to conduct its investigation to expedite legal actions, including civil forfeiture and asset preservation.

Barbers said that the quadcom is currently in the process of identifying whether the funds used to purchase land in the country were a means of money laundering through POGOs, adding that they have yet to uncover the source of funds.

“All these properties were fraudulently acquired. Some built warehouses and started other businesses, and it’s possible that there may be another POGO hub in those areas,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

Assistant Solicitor General Hermes Ocampo committed to reviewing the documents and ascertaining whether the ownership of the identified lands remains with Chinese nationals or has been transferred to qualified Filipino individuals or entities.

“If the real estate is still in the name of this Chinese, we will file the necessary actions,” he said.

The joint committee is also examining PSA requirements for late registration of birth certificates and recommending the implementation of stricter criteria to avoid fake citizenships.

“It's critical for the PSA and the local civil registrar [to be strict with their requirements]. We are very particular about that. This is because the Chinese nationals used this, and the PSA relaxed its requirements for birth certificates, as did the local civil registrar,” Rep. Dan Fernandez (Santa Rosa, Lone District) said in a mix of English and Filipino.

The House quadcom recommended that the OSG coordinate with other agencies in its investigation, including the Department of Justice, Department of Finance, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Agrarian Reform and the PSA.