Who owns Pasay Lot?

BARANGAY PASAY, MAASIN CITY - The Kasanag Group of Southern Leyte is questioning the ownership of a fishpond in barangay Pasay, Maasin City, and barangay Ichon which was reportedly bought by NOMERCO Holdings Incorporated which is owned by the Mercado Family of Abgao.

The group which is based in Saint Bernard Town and is headed by Mayor Rico Rentuza in its complaint affidavit addressed to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic resources Regional Director Justherie Granali claimed the property was originally leased by BFAR to the Maraon Family of Barangay Ichon. But that the lease had lapsed, and was not renewed, so the property was again considered public land and could not be transferred or sold because it was not alienable or disposal.

In response to the group's complaint, the BFAR Regional Director, called a meeting between the two protagonists in Tacloban City last March 14.

The group representing the complainant which was comprised of former provincial governor Rosette Yñiquez-Lerias who is a member of the Kasanag Group and lawyers Jun Enage and Miguelito Lao attended the meeting but no one from NOMERCO Holdings was present.

SLT called NOMERCO's General Manager Emily Mercado to inquire why they had sent no representative to the meeting, and she said, she was not given due notice and was out of town when the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources invitation reached her office.

She said they bought the property from the Maraon family in good faith and was not aware that the Maraon family's lease on the land had lapsed.

According to BFAR fishpond and mangrove properties leased out by the government to private citizens cannot be sold by the land's private leasees because it is owned by the state.

It added that such properties should only be operated as either fishponds or mangroves which are declared by law as alienable and disposable. (By ANTHONY KINGS)

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