By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — Resenting the recent civil case that SM Prime Holdings, Inc. filed against it, the provincial government plans to bring the matter up to the Supreme Court, according to Provincial Board member Salvador Escalante.
The case, filed before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 48 here, seeks the nullification of a deed conditional sale and contract between the capitol and Ayala Land, Inc. involving a 7.7-hectare provincial government prime property in the city.
That would be a “good move”; it will allow the high tribunal to rule on it with finality, Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.
Among those included in the charges were members of the capitol’s Committee on Awards and Disposal of Real Properties led by their chair, Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., and Provincial Board members.
Neophyte Board members Renato Malabor, Alain Gatuslao, Victor Javellana, Johanna Ko, and Rolando Ponsica wondered why they were included in the case, Escalante had said.
Marañon had hinted that indigent residents of the province, as pauper litigants, may file a damage suit worth billions of pesos against SM.
He had said SM is “bullying” not only the provincial government but also the people of Negros Occidental.
Lacson had said the Provincial Board has given the governor the authority to represent them in the case filed by SM.
SM filed this new case in the wake of the dismissal of several claims and cases it filed against the capitol-Ayala Land agreement.
On March 27, the Land Registration Authority denied SM’s appeal over its adverse claim on the 39 capitol-owned lots covered by the deed of sale and contract of lease with Ayala Land.
RTC Branch 59 Judge Estefanio Libutan Jr. also dismissed for lack of merit the certiorari that SM filed against the capitol./PN
