The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on Tuesday, Oct. 22, vowed to take legal action against foreign nationals who illegally acquired real estate properties in the Philippines.
“Once we have gathered sufficient evidence, we’ll commence the appropriate legal actions which may include civil forfeiture, reversion, escheat, cancellation of birth certificates, deportation, and criminal/administrative complaints,” Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra said.
Guevarra pointed this out after the House of Representatives Quad Committee asked the OSG to conduct forfeiture proceedings over properties bought by Chinese nationals pretending to be Filipinos.
The chairmen of the House Quad Comm turned over to OSG last Monday, Oct. 21, a collection of documents that would help the latter in the forfeiture proceedings.
Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the Quad Comm overall chairman who led the turn over of the documents, estimated the quantity of the involved lands to be "in the thousands of hectares”.
“We’ll review immediately the documents turned over to us by the Quad Comm,” said Guevarra.
“Then we’ll engage with other government agencies for further evidence gathering and case build-up,” he added.