Balili estate lawyer says agent handled land sale
SIX years after paying P98.9 million to the Balili family, the Cebu provincial government remains tied up in litigation as it tries to recover P37.8 million it paid for portions of the controversial property that were found to be underwater.
Lawyer Romeo Balili, the executor of the Balili Estate, yesterday testified in court and said he had no participation in the 2008 land deal between the Cebu provincial government and the lot owners.
He said a certain Lumen Durano acted as agent and brought together provincial government officials and the Balili family to agree on buying the shoreline property in barangay Tinaan, City of Naga, southern Cebu.
“I have no participation in the transaction. It was handled by the agent. And the agent will just report to me and Amparo,” Romeo said during the hearing before Judge Rafael Yrastorza of the Regional Trial Court Branch 14 in Cebu City.
In his judicial affidavit submitted in court, Romeo said he’s the “judicially appointed executor” of the Estate of Luis Balili—his uncle.
Transaction
As executor of the estate, Romeo said he was tasked by Luis to sell some of his properties, including the Balili property.
He said he acted on the Balili transaction based on what Durano relayed to him.
Durano’s husband Loreto earlier told Cebu Daily News that a third party” had approached her wife to broker the sale.
He declined to give the names. Loreto said he wasn’t privy to the details of the transaction.
If the standard five percent fee for brokers is followed, Lumen was entitled to receive P4.9 million of the total purchase price of P98.9 million. But Loreto said he doesn’t have the P4 million to show.
In 2008, the province bought the Balili property for P98.9 million. An adhoc committee created by the provincial government to investigate the purchase recommended that the province only pay for the dry land.
The Balili property triggered several investigations which led to the filing of graft charges against former provincial officials and former Cebu governor and now Cebu’s 3rd district Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia.
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