Manila City wants ‘crown jewels’ back

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza said the city government is now working for the "recovery" of the city’s crown jewels, including Rizal Park, which were transferred to the national government during martial law.

Atienza noted the local government needs the Rizal Park, the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and several other properties in the city for developmental projects.

"We urgently need these properties for our own development planning and we will exhaust all legal options available to us to get them back," Atienza stressed.

Luneta, the Intramuros area and the Manila Harbor used to be under the jurisdiction of the city government. But during the martial law regime, former President Ferdinand Marcos signed presidential decrees transferring the properties to different agencies of the national government.

Atienza directed City Legal Officer Melchor Monsod to study legal measures for their recovery.

"These are properties titled to the City of Manila which authority was transferred to the national government without the consent of the city government and its residents. Neither was the city compensated," the mayor noted.

He said they are considering the plan to seek compensation for the properties. "We believe that the action of the national government at that time was unjust and confiscatory. Under the law, Atienza explained the government has to pay compensation when it expropriates property from its rightful owner. "In our case, there was no due process and the city was never compensated."

The mayor is optimistic to get a favorable ruling from the courts, either for recovery or compensation.