SC junks Marcos family claim on Paoay land

Supreme Court—INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The anti-Marcos group Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (Carmma) lauded on Thursday a Supreme Court ruling that declared as void and unconstitutional a 1978 government lease contract that effectively recognized former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s ownership of a 57-hectare property in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

“The Marcoses’ claim on a public land as their own, while seated in Malacañang, is one more proof of how the Marcoses used their power to expand their wealth,” Carmma said in a statement.

It added that it hopes to see “more Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth recovered, and more lies and disinformation of the so-called Marcos’ golden years debunked.”

In a decision promulgated on Nov. 13, 2023, but released only on Sept. 4, the high court declared as void and unconstitutional the 25-year lease between Marcos Sr. and the Philippine Tourism Authority.

The ruling, written by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, noted that the land was never titled under the name of Marcos Sr.

The court also noted that his heirs filed free patents on most of the 57 hectares only in 2000, 22 years after the 1978 lease agreement. Six of the patent applications were granted, with two still pending.

State property

The ruling, which was signed by 10 other magistrates, ruled that since the land in question was declared a national park in 1969, no patents should have been granted.

“No one, not even the President, can claim exclusive rights over property of the State,” the court added.

The free patents were allegedly granted to Sen. Imee Marcos and her sons, Michael Manotoc and Fernando Martin Manotoc.

The high court recommended that the government start proceedings to recover the property.

As for the portions covered by free patents, it said these should be settled by lower courts. But the court noted the said lots could still be retrieved if the government delegates to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources the power to order the Office of the Solicitor General to instigate reversion proceedings.

The disputed land of 576,787 square meters (57 ha) located in Barangay Suba in Paoay includes the so-called “Malacanang of the North.”