THE Sandiganbayan Second Division has ordered the formal turnover to the government of properties forfeited from an associate of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
In a resolution dated November 26, 2021, the anti-graft court directed the cancellation of seven titles under the names of the late businessman Alfonso Lim and Taggat Industries and the issuance of new ones in the name of the Republic of the Philippines to enforce the decision issued on December 14, 2015.
The decision ended 28 years of court battles by granting the government petition for recovery of unlawfully acquired assets filed on July 30, 1987 against former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, former First Lady (now Ilocos Norte congresswoman) Imelda Marcos, former Minister of Natural Resources Teodoro Q. Peña, and businessman Alfonso Lim Sr. and his son, Alfonso Lim Jr.
Upon the death of the former president in September 1989, his wife, and three children — incumbent Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Irene Marcos-Araneta — were named substitute defendants by an order of the Sandiganbayan issued in 1991.
Covered by the latest court order were two parcels of land in Angono, Rizal and a third in Laurel, Batangas all registered in the name of Alfonso Lim.
The two Rizal properties measuring 4.96 hectares and 56.7 hectares were found to have been sold by the Rizal provincial government to a property developer in 2011 due to non-payment of taxes.
The Batangas property covering an area of 129.15 hectares remains in the name of Lim based on a verification made by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) as of 2018.
Four remaining lots located in Claveria, Cagayan measuring 8.1 hectares, 6 hectares, 2 hectares, and 0.82 hectare are all listed in the name of Taggat Industries.
An update on the status of the seven properties was submitted to the court by Sandiganbayan sheriff Romulo Barrozo.
“The Register of Deeds mentioned below are hereby directed to cancel the titles registered in the names of Alfonso Lim and Taggat Industries and to issue new ones in the name of the Republic of the Philippines. Let a writ of execution be issued to enforce and implement the aforementioned directive,” the Sandiganbayan said.
Associate Justice and Second Division chairperson Oscar C. Herrera Jr. penned the ruling, with Associate Justices Michael Frederick L. Musngi and Maryann E. Corpus-Mañalac concurring.
Alfonso Lim Jr. and the Estate of Alfonso D. Lim Sr. executed separate waivers and quitclaims in 2010 declaring that they “unequivocally and completely waived and surrendered” any and all rights to the assets sequestered by the PCGG in favor of the Republic of the Philippines.
