Senate sub-committee to summon former owners of ‘Hacienda Binay’

The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee is set to summon the previous owners of properties that compose part the alleged estate of Vice President Jejomar Binay in Rosario, Batangas.

According to a Tuesday report on GMA 7's “24 Oras”, property tax documents obtained from the Rosario, Batangas Assessor's Office revealed that four people owned sections of the alleged "Hacienda Binay": Hilario Comia (who owns 2.6 hectares), Renato Comia, Sr. (2.6 hectares), Benito Alday (10.5 hectares), and Balbino Perez (11.8 hectares).



Former Rosario vice-mayor Danilo Alday, told GMA News that he bought his uncle Benito's parcel of land in 1994 and sold the property for P5 million through an agent. He said that he gave all the necessary papers for the purchase, including the propertiy's title, to the agent.

He only found out later that then Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay was the property's buyer.,

Meantime, Perez has long passed away and his children no longer lived in the area. GMA News was also unable to contact Renato Comia.

Unconvinced

"Kung itong mga tax declaration na na-research po ng GMA News ay talagang pasok doon sa property na pinag-uusapan natin, therefore, relevant na ipatawag ang mga ito," Blue Ribbon subcommittee chair Senator Koko Pimentel, meanwhile, said.

The sub-committee was still not convinced that businessman Antonio Tiu was the owner of the 145 hectares of land that is Sunchamp Agri-Tourism Park, or the so-called "Hacienda Binay."

A property tax document from the Assessor's Office in Rosario, Batangas shows that only a little more than a hectare of the tourism park was owned Tiu's Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corporation.

Tiu also said that he bought five hectares of land from Agri-Fortuna, Inc. from Laureanio Gregorio, Jr.

The subcommittee now wants to know how the businessman acquired the remaining 139 hectares of land identified as part of Sunchamp Agri-Tourism Park.

"Five plus one, six. Eh, 145 hectares 'yun, marami pa po tayong kailangang ipapaliwanag kay Mr. Tiu," said Pimentel.,

Tiu told GMA News that Gregorio was the only person he transacted with in 2013 for the 145-hectare farm.

"Pinakilala po siya [si Gregorio] sa akin ni Atty. Martin Subido. Ang importante naman po sa akin ay pinatunayan niya sa akin na siya ay lehitimong may-ari ng lupa," Tiu explained.

Tiu also said he paid P11 million out of the P446 million agreed on price for the property. — Tricia Macas/DVM, GMA News