Duterte signs law allowing UP to sell Krus na Ligas land to QC gov’t

MANILA, Philippines —President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the law authorizing the University of the Philippines (UP) to sell 22 hectares of land in Barangay (village) Krus na Ligas village to the Quezon City government.

Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11454 on August 30, a copy of which was released to the media on Tuesday. The new law amended the Republic Act 9500 or the University of the Philippines charter of 2008.

The new law allows UP to sell land not exceeding 22.467 hectares in Barangay Krus na Ligas to the Quezon City government at a fair market price acceptable to the university.

Senate Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, chair of the Senate committee on education, arts, and culture authored the said law in the Senate.

READ: Senate OKs bill allowing UP to sell Brgy. Krus na Ligas land to QC gov’t

The law said “no right of ownership over the said parcels of land” would be transferred to the Quezon City Local Government until the full payment has been received by the University.

Under the law, “the authorization is deemed  automatically revoked” if UP  and the QC Government ‘fail to not agree on the terms and conditions of the sale within one year from the effectivity of the act  or when full payment was not received by the university.”

It said that no land covered by new law should be sold, alienated or conveyed by the legitimate residents of Krus na Ligas except to his or her legal heirs.

“Should the legitimate residents unlawfully sell, transfer or otherwise dispose his or her lot to any right therein, the transaction shall be null and void,” the law said.

The law also orders the Quezon City government to create a technical working group to identify the legitimate residents of Barangay Krus na Ligas, who shall be the eventual qualified buyers of the land.

Once the ownership of land has been transferred from UP to the Quezon City government, the law added that local government unit is mandated to fence off the areas owned by UP to separate it from the area being sold.  /muf