Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto warned against land-grabbing syndicates duping residents with fake documents and extorting from them following a recent land dispute over an empty lot in Nagpayong, Barangay Pinagbuhatan.
Sotto issued the warning after the Action Line Division of the Peace and Order Department (POD) was sent to the site to dismantle outposts set up in an attempt to claim the vacant lot which led to a commotion and the arrest of several individuals.
“Kaya po sila naaresto at nakasuhan dahil nanakit po sila—may nangalmot, nanulak, at nangagat pa nga. Hindi po sila diyan nakatira. Alam ng mga taga Nagpayong na walang residente sa bakanteng lote na ‘yan (They were arrested and charged for resorting to violence—scratching, pushing, and even biting. They don’t live there. Residents of Nagpayong know that no one resides in that vacant lot),” Sotto explained.
Sotto said these syndicates have long been operating, using fake documents, including Supreme Court rulings and outdated maps of the Philippines, to falsely claim ownership and mislead people.
He noted that while a lawyer or someone well-versed in such documents would see that these syndicates have no rightful claim, they continue to take advantage of citizens unfamiliar with legal processes.
“Meron po talagang sindikato. May mga papeles silang pinapakita para i-mislead ang mga tao, nagbebenta ng lupa na hindi sa kanila, humihingi ng P15K para sa lote na hindi naman nila pag-aari. Kapag tiningnan mo, basehan ng sindikato sa claim nila ay halos buong Pilipinas ang nasa mapa nila (There really is a syndicate. They show documents to mislead people, sell land they don’t own, and ask for P15,000 for a lot that isn’t theirs. If you look at the basis for their claim, it almost covers the entire Philippines),” he added.
“These syndicates demand payments of up to P15,000 from citizens, falsely promising them rights to the property once they pay. They use fraudulent documents and create fake homeowners' associations to mislead owners and generate illicit profits,” Sotto added.
He said the empty lot was purchased by the local government for a planned medical facility. He emphasized that the city would not have been able to purchase the property if there are people living there.
Sotto urged residents who lost significant amounts of money to these fraudulent schemes to seek assistance from the City Legal Office (CLO) as he assured them of his support in filing estafa cases against these syndicates.
He urged them to be cautious when buying real estate, and advised those who are not sure about a property's legitimacy to avoid making down payments or membership fee without checking first.
He also recommended seeking help from a trusted third party knowledgeable in Philippine real estate law to verify the documents presented to them.
The mayor called on the public to stay vigilant and help spread awareness about these land scams to prevent more people from falling victim and ultimately put an end to such fraudulent activities.