Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 28) — The Solicitor General on Friday told a realty firm to vacate a commercial property in Makati’s financial district or face eviction.
This follows an earlier statement from President Rodrigo Duterte saying he wanted Mile Long, a strip of shops, offices, and restaurants leased by the Sunvar Realty Development Corporation, returned to the government.
Solicitor General Jose Calida said Sunvar owes the government ₱1.676 billion in unpaid rentals, excluding interest.
“They can choose: First, comply in accordance with the law and peacefully vacate. Or If they want trouble, we will give them trouble,” Calida said in a news briefing.
“If they resist, we will use force to oust them,” he added.
Sunvar is owned by the Prieto and Rufino families, who also own the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), a broadsheet the Duterte administration considers a staunch critic. Calida said Sunvar occupied the three-hectare property in 1982 under a lease agreement, which expired 20 years ago.
“Despite notices, Sunvar continues to remain in possession and collect millions of rentals from its tenants. Dapat ang tawag sa kompanya niyo hindi Sunvar, kundi Philippine Daily Squatter,” Calida said.
[Translation: Your company should not be called Sunvar, but Philippine Daily Squatter.]
He added that the billions in pesos owed by Sunvar could be used to build hospitals and rehabilitate Marawi City.
Calida denied that the government’s move is politically motivated.
“The main point here, we need the money and this company has been profiting from the property of the government. They are not willing to vacate. They are not even paying any rent. That’s the injustice of it,” Calida said.
Sunvar defends lease agreement
Sunvar said it is wrong to call them squatters.
Sunvar Legal Counsel Alma Mallonga told CNN Philippines they already paid P17 million as advance payment in 1982 for the initial period of 25 years, which is renewable for another 25 years.
“We just like to stress that Sunvar is not a squatter. That what is in dispute here is the validity; Sunvar’s understanding of a commercial transaction it entered into some 35 years ago,” Mallonga said.
The company said it is exhausting all legal remedies to protect the transaction. Sunvar said it has raised to the Supreme Court a Court of Appeals June 21, 2017 decision.
The June 21 appellate court decision ruled that the Regional Trial Court (RTC) had no jurisdiction to hear Sunvar’s case. The same RTC issued a temporary restraining order, stopping the Metropolitan Trial Court’s 2015 decision ordering Sunvar to vacate the Mile Long property.
Mallonga added they even took a risk in leasing the property when they could have bought it instead.
“Because it is not a sweetheart deal, it entailed the payment of money for rental and also for developing the property,” she said.
The property lies along Amorsolo Street in the Legaspi Village business district and is a stone’s throw away from the Office of the Solicitor General.
Calida took a swipe at Sunvar’s owners, noting they were in talks with business tycoon Ramon Ang to sell a significant stake of the Philippine Daily Inquirer to him.
“Now they are disposing their properties. The PDI is being sold to Mr. Ramon Ang. I am not surprised that their bank accounts are already transferred to other accounts,” the solicitor general said.
He added they are just waiting for the Court of Appeals to act on their motion for execution on the Metropolitan Trial Court’s ruling.
