Land Registration Authority administrator Renato Bermejo (middle) explains the need to amend Republic Act no. 6732 to allow the agency to reconstitute or reconstruct list or damaged original certificate of land titles. Also in photo are Emmanuel Leonardo, assistant to the LRA administrator, and Marlo Cogtas, Central Visayas acting regional registrar of deeds. | Irene R. Sino Cruz
CEBU CITY, Philippines–The Land Registration Authority (LRA) aims to fast track transactions and stop corruption through an amendment of Republic Act 6732.
R A. 6732 allows the administrative reconstitution of original copies of certificates of titles that are lost or destroyed due to fire, flood and other force majeure. But this can only be done if the loss or damage reach at least 10 percent of the total number of titles.
The LRA is proposing an amendment to do away with the ex parte litigation for the reconstitution of the government’s copy of the original certificate of land titles.
This was revealed by LRA administrator Renato Bermejo during a press briefing held Wednesday afternoon, October 2, at the City Sports Club.
The government’s copy of the title would be needed to complete any land transaction, Bermejo explained.
The proposed amendment aims to fast track transactions as well as stop corruption in the LRA, he explained.
He noted that LRA title room has no security and anyone could readily enter it.
Since the LRA has already scanned 98 percent of the country’s land titles or 16 million certificates, they have e-copies kept on their database.
Lawyer Emmanuel Leonardo, assistant to the LRA administrator, said that they have been getting reports of some LRA employees accused of hiding TCTs and using these as an excuse to ask for money to hasten transactions.
But Leonardo admitted that they do have evidence to support these allegations.
If Republic Acts 6732 and 26 are amended, there would no longer be any motivation for LRA employees to hide land titles, he added.
Bermejo said they have talked to some legislators who could sponsor the amendatory bill.
He explained that they will be preparing the draft proposal on the amendment which would allow LRA to reconstruct the original TCT of the scanned titles.
Currently, the government’s copy of the TCT can be printed only through the issuance of a court order. / dcb