QC gov't insists ownership of Boracay mansion, bucks Sandigan forfeiture

The Quezon City government on Monday challenged the Sandiganbayan to show proof that former President Joseph Estrada owned the controversial Boracay Mansion which the graft court intends to forfeit in connection with the deposed President's plunder case. This, as City Treasurer Victor Endriga threatened to file appropriate charges before the Supreme Court against the anti-graft court if it would pursue the sale of the contested property which has now an estimated market value of P74 million. In an interview, Endriga maintained that St. Peter's Holding Corp. was the listed owner of the property which the city acquired two years ago after the company failed to pay its tax dues. Endriga said records showed the said property was owned by St. Peter's Holding Corp. When nobody bought the property in an auction, it was considered "sold to the city government." The Sandiganbayan identified the mansion located along 11th Street in New Manila as among Estrada’s properties which the antigraft court is forfeiting in favor of the government following its conviction of Estrada for plunder. "There is no document that will support that the so-called Boracay Mansion is owned by President Estrada, so the burden of proof is on the Sandiganbayan," Endriga said. Endriga stressed the graft court should respect the law, because the Quezon City has done all the legal process before it was able to acquire the property and that Sandiganbayan should also do the same. "The city is only protecting the interest of the people we have done nothing wrong they can sue us if they want but we will sue them also… Quezon City is the representative of the people and with the property now under the name of the city it can also be considered as the property of the people," Endriga said. - GMANews.TV