Duterte wants Mile Long property in Makati returned to government

President Rodrigo Duterte wants to get back a government property, which was leased to a real estate developer in Makati City.

At his press conference upon his arrival in Davao City early Tuesday morning, Duterte launched fresh tirades at the Prieto and Rufino families, the owners of the Sunvar Realty Development Corp. and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Sunvar developed the 2.9-hectare lot called Mile Long property in Makati City, which Duterte plans to sell and use the proceeds to fund government housing projects.

"Hanggang ngayon, ang income ng establishments diyan, ang nagkukubra si Prieto, may-ari ng donut. Do not steal the property of government. Akala ninyo kayo lang ang marunong eh p-- ina ninyo, pati kayo magnanakaw. So do not tell us what to do... That is corruption of the highest order," he said.

Duterte warned the developers of the Mile Long property to return the land to the government or he would let people occupy it.

"Isauli ninyo iyang property. Otherwise, I would tell the Filipino people, go there and occupy your property," he said.

The National Power Corporation (Napocor) is the original owner of the property. But it was leased to Sunvar for 25 years through the Philippine Development Alternatives Foundation.

Napocor, in 2002, informed the Foundation that it would no longer renew the contract.

But Sunvar argued that they have the exclusive option to extend the lease for another 25 years. The dispute reached the Court of Appeals in 2016, which ruled in favor of the real estate developer. — BAP, GMA News