City exec forms task force to probe 'overpriced' land acquisition
City Mayor Jerry Treņas has created a task force to investigate the alleged overpricing on the P63 million housing resettlement project in Barangay San Isidro, Jaro.
Recently, Sara Jane A. Magdalo, allegedly an employee of the National Housing Authority (NHA) questioned the acquisition of the land. She wrote President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo about the alleged"overpriced" deal.
Magdalo claimed that the lot should have only amounted to 3 million based on current market price and the 1999 declaration of real property value.
A check with the NHA however showed that the name Sara Jane A. Magdalo is fictitious.
The lot being questioned is 162,000 square meters owned by the Mirasol family. It was sold to the city government at P390.00 per square meter. The entire property costs P63,180,780. The funding for the land acquisition came from the National Poverty Alleviation Fund of the NHA.
Treņas said the task force will be chaired by City Legal Office chief Atty. Edgardo Gil. The other members of the task force are Councilor Eduardo Peņaredondo, City Assessor Nelson Parreņo, and Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (ICUPAO) chief Roy Firmeza.
Surprisingly, the members of the task force are also responsible for the approval of the purchase of the lot which became the basis of the city council in passing a resolution granting authority to the City Mayor to enter into a land deal with the Mirasol family.
Firmeza who chairs the committee on land acquisition.
Prior to the forging of the land deal, the offer of realtor Efren Jimeo, who stood as attorney-in-fact of land owner Marilyn Mirasol Inocencio, passed through Firmeza's committee.
Treņas said the task force will study the alleged overpricing of the property to be used as relocation site for families who are affected by the Iloilo Flood Control project. He said he does not want that something will mess up on the project.