Probe Muntinlupa land scam – PACC

Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Commissioner Greco Belgica asked the Bureau of Local Government Finance to investigate allegations that a syndicate was engaged in land-grabbing in Muntinlupa City in connivance with the city treasurer’s office.

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In a complaint he sent to PACC, Manuel Alberto, a resident of Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa, accused the city treasurer, Anastacio Minoza, of helping the syndicate carry out its scheme.

Alberto said the syndicate sees to it that notices for payment of property taxes were not sent to the real addresses of a property owner.

Once the owner misses out on the payments, the property would be foreclosed and the syndicate sells it without the owner’s knowledge.

Alberto said the certificate of the land where he built his residence was cancelled because it had been auctioned by the Muntinlupa government after his unpaid property taxes reached P323,000.

He said he was never notified of the auction.

The final notice from the Regional Trial Court of Muntinlupa was the first and only time his family was informed that his property was being foreclosed, Alberto said.

He said local government officials admitted they foreclosed the P45-million property and put it on the auction block without notifying him, as required by law.

Aside from Minoza, Alberto pointed to Real Property Tax Division Head Marissa Argana and other city officials as being part of the scheme.

He also alleged that Indian businessman Vasudev Jadwani, president of VSD Realty and Development Corp., and Dinesh Jadwani, corporate secretary of VSD Realty, also had a hand in the landgrabbing.

“The utter disregard of the officials of the City Treasurer’s Office of Muntinlupa for the most basic laws and rules, as well as the rights of its own taxpayers to protection from corruption and abuse of authority, which are patent on their own records, are in our respectful opinion, the proper subject of verification, investigation, and corrective action, as this undermine the most basic of our institutions- the family, as well as the sanctity and security of the family homes of hapless taxpayers who often find themselves at the mercy of these officials and their cohorts in the private sector,” Alberto said in his letter to the PACC.

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Minoza has denied Alberto’s allegation.

The Manila Times on Monday obtained a letter Minoza wrote to Bureau of Local Government Finance Executive Director Nino Raymon Alvina dated January 29 in which he said: “There is no truth in their allegation that there was a systematic and nefarious syndicate in the City Treasurer Office of Muntinlupa City as far as public auction of delinquent real properties is concerned.”

Minoza said the city treasury complied with all the procedural requirements before conducting the auction.

He claimed that his office mailed three notices containing billing statements of real property tax due to Alberto’s address on May 20, September 2 and October 7, all in 2016.

Minoza said the first and second publication of the notice of delinquency was posted on Nov. 6 and 13, 2016, and the third and fourth publication for the Notice of Auction Sale was published on Nov. 20 and 27, 2016 in The Philippine Star.

“The final notice of delinquency dated October 10, 2016 was sent thru registered mail on October 25, 2016 to the same address,” he added.

He said the city treasury also posted a notice of delinquency and notice of auction sale to all barangay (villages) at the main lobby of the City Hall Building on Nov. 4 and 18 in 2016.

As for the post-auction sale, Minoza said the treasury sent a letter to Alberto on Jan. 18, 2017 through registered mail furnishing him a copy of the certificate of sale dated January 3.

A letter dated Jan. 4, 2017 was also sent to Alberto on Jan. 18, 2017 informing him that his
property had been auctioned and that he had one year within which to redeem it, Minoza said.

“After the redemption period lapsed, the Deed of Conveyance was issued dated and notarized on Jan. 4, 2018. A letter dated March 27, 2018 was emailed on April 10, 2018 requesting the Albertos to visit the office of the City Treasurer to claim the proceeds in excess of the delinquent tax,” he said.

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He stressed that he did not know the bidders personally and “had not talked to them.”

“It was only during the public auction day on auction proper that I saw them when each name was called and each respective number was given,” Minoza said. “It is worth mentioning that the properties sold at public auction sale on Dec. 7, 2016 was delinquent since 2010 which means six years delinquent.”

“As good citizens, why were they not paying the real property taxes of their properties?” he added.

With a report from  JOHN ERIC MENDOZA

#realestateblogph | #realestateblogphpropertynews | #REBPH | #realestate | #PresidentialAntiCorruptionCommission | #PACC | #landscam | #Muntinlupa

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Article and Photo originally posted by Manila Times last February 9, 2021 and written by Keith Calayag.

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