SC to tackle land dispute

The Supreme Court (SC) will hold a crucial meeting this week to decide on whether to overturn the decision of its third division regarding the ownership of a large property in Las Piñas being claimed by Mariano Nocom.

The government and the Chinese petitioners, led by the owner of Firestone Ceramics Inc., want the 15 members of the SC to reverse their five colleagues’ Sept. 1999 unanimous decision to award the property to the heirs of Lorenzo Gana and Juliana Carlos.

Peltan Development Corp. (Peltan), the Espinosa family and six other Filipino families subsequently acquired the property. The case involves 99 hectares of land in Barangay Tindig ng Mangga in Las Piñas City.

The case is actually on behalf of Nocom and Firestone, whose titles have been declared null and void by the SC.

A source hinted that Justice Fidel Purisima succeeded in having the case elevated for en banc review despite objections from four other members of the third division – Justices Minerva Gonzaga-Reyes, Jose Vitug, Artemio Panganiban – including Justice Jose Melo.

The SC ruled four times upholding the validity of the titles of Peltan, the Espinosas and six Filipino families against Nocom and Firestone. The first decision was issued on Feb. 1994 and was upheld on appeal by the third division on Sept. 1999.