Antonio Tiu said he was ‘renting’ Batangas‎ property–DAR chief

Businessman Antonio Tiu. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — Antonio Tiu, the  alleged dummy of Vice President Jejomar Binay, told the Department of  Agrarian  Reform  (DAR) that he was only renting  the  controversial  property in Batangas province,  DAR Secretary Virgilo De Los Reyes himself  told a Senate hearing  on  Thursday.

De Los Reyes told  the  committee that Tiu himself   had told  him that he was only  renting  the Sunchamp Agri-Tourism Park  during their conversation when he attended  its launching  last August.

“…During our conversation, I had in fact asked Mr. Tiu  how  he could have this area of land consolidated because there was a fence, and whether they have already taken into account agrarian reform laws…he said.. he had actually leased this particular parcel of land. And that was the gist  of  our conversation prior to the actual ceremony,”  he said, responding to  Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s question.

“Can you clarify. He  (Tiu) said he leased it?” asked Cayetano.

“Yes sir, he said he leased it. He did not  own it  because  if anyone owns that big parcel of land, then this will surely fall into our data base but our data base did not show any ownership…” said De Los Reyes.

Asked to confirm  the Secretary’s  statement, Tiu said: “Yes,  your honor, I did tell the good Secretary that we have the usufruct over the…” but he ws interrupted by Cayetano, reminding  him that  the word he used was   “lease” and not usufruct.

Senator Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel  III,  chairman of the commitee, then asked  De Los Reyes   whether  the  Tiu used the  word  “lease” or  “usufruct.”

“My recollection  your honor is lease  because I was asking whether he had ownership,” said the DAR chief.

Tiu  then explained that his conversation with De Los  Reyes was  about the  Agrarian  Reform  Law, which he said did not permit an entity to own more  than five hectares.

“So we’re using the usufruct and exercising  right over the  property,” he said.

But Cayetano pointed  out  that  a memorandum of agreement pertaining to the property  did not say  “usufruct” but  the sale of the property..

“Yeah, but there’s a curing period of two years for the seller to complete the  conversion of the land title   before the full payment can be executed,” said Tiu, who had told the committee that he had  paid  P11 million downpayment  for the 150-hectare  property, which he said was sold to him for P446 million.