Ex-Palawan vice governor accused of landgrabbing

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice was asked the other day to investigate former Palawan vice governor David Ponce de Leon for allegedly grabbing a land worth P14 million in 2006.

In a letter-complaint to Secretary Leila de Lima, Selwin Albag and her brother-in-law Melchor Albag accused De Leon of manipulating them and getting them to allow him to sell their land, of which they only got a pittance.

“We are requesting the assistance of DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima in this matter as the accused is a very influential man in our province,” the two said.

They said they already wrote to the National Bureau of Investigation field office in Puerto Princesa, and nothing yet have come out about their complaints.

According to complainants, they first met De Leon when they went to the latter’s legal office in 1997 to ask whether it was possible for him to help them in their petition to get the land title of Candelario Albag, her husband, Roberto’s grandfather, to re-issue a document as the original title was destroyed by elements.

Selwin said that the land located in Barangay Concepcion, Busuanga, measuring 29,430 square meters was given by Candelario to her husband prior to his death.

She said at that time De Leon responded positively, prompting her to ask again the latter’s help in getting the land title of Francisco Basca, a close relative, a re-issue by the proper authorities as it was also damaged.

Basca’s land has a total area of 45,989 square meters and near the Albag property. De Leon successfully batted for the re-issuance of the two land titles, much to the joy of the original owners, who then informed the former Palawan vice governor of their plans to sell it. Initially, the accused advised the members of the Albag family not to inform anyone else of their plans to sell properties as some unscrupulous individuals might cheat them. Selwin added that De Leon volunteered to act as their agent and only requested that they provide him with the necessary documents needed to consummate the sale properly.

When the family asked the former vice governor about his compensation for his troubles, De Leon replied that he will take payment once the sale has been properly carried out and the money turned over to them.

“Since our previous dealings with him (De Leon) have been carried out successfully, we saw no reason not to trust him. Aside from getting him to act as our selling agent for our land, we even commissioned him to process the documents needed to sell the 45,551 square meters of land owned by Bonifacio Albag,” Selwin said in her affidavit.

Sometime in 2006, a businessman from Rodriquez, Rizal identified only as Denis Martin made a bid for the above-mentioned parcel of land for P18 million. Selwin said that De Leon was overjoyed upon hearing the news and expressed his intention to negotiate directly with the buyer.

Seeing no reason to doubt De Leon’s sincerity, the Albag clan together with those of the Basca family agreed to appoint De Leon as their negotiator.

Upon meeting again with De Leon, the latter informed the clans that Martin haggled for the price to be reduced to P14 million and payment made in two tranches of P7 million.

Believing that De Leon was working for their interest, the clans agreed to the above-mentioned price and signed the “Extra-judicial Settlement with Simultaneous Deed of Absolute Sale” and “Waivers of Rights” prepared by De Leon.