MANILA - The Supreme Court has ordered several government agencies to respond to a petition filed by a lawmaker seeking to void the P472.04-million sale of a 41-hectare reclaimed lot in Parañaque City, where the Entertainment City now stands.

The land was sold 30 years ago to the Manila Bay Development Corporation (MBDC).

The Parañaque City Register of Deeds, Light Railway Transit Authority, Commission on Audit (COA), and MBDC were given 10 days to file their respective comments on the petition filed by 1-SAGIP party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta, in his capacity as a member of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability of the House of Representatives, in April.

The petition argued that the sale of the prime lot, located along Roxas Boulevard, now with a reported estimated value of at least P61-billion, falls squarely on the constitutional prohibition that no public land may be sold to a corporation.

The property was owned by the then Public Estates Authority, now Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), at the time of the questioned sale in 1988.

The petition further explained that at the time of the execution of the Deed of Sale, the conditions requisite for the sale of public lands were not met: that the reclaimed property be declared capable and open for sale; and a declaration that it is not needed for public service and/or purpose.

“The subject reclaimed property is an inalienable land of the public doman and beyond the commerce of man. It had never become alienable nor disposable. Thus, the sale of or conveyance thereof to respondent MBDC is undeniably null and void,” the petition stated.

Marcoleta urged the SC to issue a stay order against the subject sale, and moved that the Office of the Solicitor General initiate initiate recovery efforts on the property.

As for the Register of Deeds, Marcoleta asked the high court to order it to cancel all certificates of title arising from the contract. He also sought an order from the SC for the COA to issue a notice of disallowance on the sale.