QC to convert Boracay mansion into museum

Adamant to hand over the property to the national government, the Quezon City on Monday said it push through with the planned conversion of the “Boracay mansion" into a public museum. In an interview, City treasurer Victor Endriga maintained that the City government is the owner of the property since 2005, adding that he is mandated by law to dispose of the 7,400 square-meter. Failure to do so would make him culpable of certain violations of the law, Endriga noted. "I am just doing my job. It is my task (to dispose of the property) and if I will not do what the law tells me to do, I may be held liable. We plan to convert it into a museum soon," Endriga said. In its guilty ruling on former President Joseph Estrada’s plunder case last week, the Sandiganbayan forfeited the Boracay mansion in favor of the government. The P142-million property was said to be owned by the former President and was purchased with illicit proceeds given by gambling operators. However, the Quezon City government said it has already forfeited the property in 2005 for failure of the property’s owners to settle real estate taxes amounting to P1.7 million. During the interview, Endriga even showed a copy of the property's transfer certificate of title which places the mansion’s ownership under the city government. "We asked the last known owners to participate in the auction or to pay their tax arrears amounting to P1.7 million in 2005. When nobody bought it, the city government (became its owner). The law allows for a one year period for the owners to redeem the same but two years had passed and nobody moved to reclaim it," Endriga said. Endriga said owners of the mansion could have redeemed the property if they managed to settle its obligations of P1.292,842 in taxes plus an additional P440,741.72 in penalties amounting to a total of P1,733,584. Endriga earlier said the Boracay mansion, which was registered to St. Peter Holdings Corp., has been on their delinquent list since 2000. He added that the city treasurer's office has sent notices to St. Peter Holdings Corp. with a mailing address at Strata 100 building in Ortigas Center in Pasig City, but the office was already abandoned. - GMANews.TV