Villar lawyer urges farmers to prove land ownership

MANILA, Philippines - A lawyer of Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr. urged the farmers laying claim to the 485-hectare property in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan previously owned by the Villars to show proof of their ownership to the courts.

Villar’s chief legal officer, Nalen Rosero-Galang, said in a statement that all of the land titles that are now with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) are valid and that no case has ever been filed in court questioning the validity of these titles.

Villar’s camp was reacting to the demand of some 100 farmers, who staged a rally outside the Office of the Ombudsman’s building in Quezon City last Monday, to demand immediate action on a plunder case they filed against Villar more than a year ago.

According to the farmers who call themselves the Norzagaray Farmers, they inherited the 485-hectare property in Sitio Karahume from their ancestors and so this should be returned to them.

Galang said the alleged farmers should file an action in court for the nullification of the titles held by the BSP.

“They should get an order from the court declaring that they have better title to the subject properties. They cannot by themselves declare that the BSP titles are fake. They have an available remedy in court,” Galang said.

Galang pointed out that the “presumption of validity” of the titles has in effect been upheld by the regional trial court of Malolos, Bulacan when it issued a writ of preliminary injunction against the individuals who attempted to intrude the property for the purpose of converting it to a dump.                 – Marvin Sy