ACTING Mandaue City Mayor Glenn Bercede has been asked to investigate allegations by radio broadcaster Edward Dela Cerna Ligas that Lone District Rep. Emmarie “Lolypop” Quano-Dizon and her husband, Opao Barangay Captain Nixon Dizon, illegally acquired a City property.
During the City Council’s regular session on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, Councilor Cynthia Remedio filed a resolution, urging an investigation into the couple’s alleged involvement in the illegal acquisition of a 2,500-square-meter lot that was originally part of a reclamation project between the City and a private developer in 1992.
The resolution, authored by Remedio and co-proponents Malcolm Sanchez, Jimmy Lumapas, Jesus Arcilla Jr., Marie Immaline Cortes-Zafra, Jennifer Del Mar, Editha Flores-Cabahug, Oscar Del Castillo Jr., Dante Borbajo, and Fleuritz Gayle Jumao-As, was unanimously approved.
Ligas, in a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman on Sept. 24, accused the couple of allegedly falsifying documents to obtain ownership of the property, raising concerns about plunder, graft and corruption.
The property, valued at over P70 million in a 2022 estimate by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, was allegedly acquired by the couple before it was fully reclaimed.
Ligas claimed that the property was part of the 186-hectare reclamation deal that the Mandaue City Government entered into and that the couple secured the land title in 1992 before the reclamation was completed.
The lot was officially titled to the City in 1993, but Ligas pointed to a 1996 document, which he argued was falsified to confirm their ownership.
Ligas also questioned the involvement of former Mandaue City mayor Alfredo Ouano, the congresswoman’s grandfather, in helping secure the title for the couple before the City could take full ownership of the reclaimed land.
He asserted that the move deprived the City of significant revenue, which could have been used for public services and infrastructure projects.
The council resolution calls for an independent investigation by the committee on laws to verify whether Ligas’ allegations are true and ensure the City’s interests are protected.
“This is about transparency. We read the news and saw the tabloid reports about the complaint, so I thought it was necessary to file a resolution to forward this to the committee on laws and ordinances,” said Remedio in Cebuano.
She added the need to determine if the property in question was illegally transferred or if it belongs to the City.
“The City’s lawyer will handle the case, but we are urging this for transparency. If the lot does belong to the City, there is a possibility that the City can reclaim it,” Remedio added.
Ligas’ complaint detailed how the couple allegedly falsified their Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) to hide the acquisition of the land, which he claimed was done through political influence and manipulation of public documents.
He accused them of nine counts of falsifying their SALN.
The lot located in Barangay Centro was part of the larger 186-hectare reclamation project meant for commercial and industrial development.
However, the questionable circumstances surrounding its transfer have sparked concerns about the legality of
the transaction.
According to the complaint, the couple managed to secure the issuance of Transfer Certificate of Title 50817 in 2005, despite irregularities in the documents.
Ligas believes that the questionable title transfer is a key issue that needs to be addressed by the City Government.
Remedio said the City Council’s move to pass the resolution reflects a growing concern among city officials about transparency and accountability in land transactions involving the local government.
The councilor added that if the investigation proves that the land was not legally transferred, the City could take steps to reclaim the property.
“If there’s nothing wrong, then there’s no case, but if there’s any involvement of the City, we always act to find out what happened,” Remedio said.
The investigation, which will be led by the committee on laws, aims to clear up the matter and ensure that no public interest has been compromised in the process.
The project, initiated in 1992, was intended to transform the city’s coastal areas into commercially viable land.
SunStar Cebu tried to reach Quano-Dizon for comment, but the latter has yet to reply as of the press deadline.