Mayor Bercede tasks Council to form TWG for lot ownership probe

Mandaue City Mayor Glenn Bercede

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines  – Mandaue City Mayor Glenn Bercede will task the Sangguniang Panlungsod with forming a Technical Working Group to investigate the alleged illegal transfer of ownership of a 2,500-square-meter city-owned lot.

On Thursday, Dec. 5, Bercede said that since the resolution has already been passed by the city council, he will authorize them to carry out the investigation.

“Ganahan og clarification ang atoang council ngano’ng nahitabo ang transaction, sa previous pa man nga admin” said Bercede.

A majority of the city councilors passed a resolution on September 30, urging Mayor Bercede to investigate the alleged illegal acquisition of the 2,500-square-meter lot by Congresswoman Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon and her husband, Opao Barangay Captain Nixon Dizon.

According to the resolution, the property, located in Barangay Centro, was allegedly city-owned but was unlawfully transferred, resulting in the issuance of Transfer Certificate of Title No. 50817 on November 9, 2022.

This property was reportedly part of a significant 186-hectare reclamation agreement between the city government and a private developer.

Bercede said that he would entrust the matter to the city council since they initiated the investigation. He added that he would grant permission for the inquiry to proceed only upon the council’s request.

The committee will likely include city councilors and key department heads, such as the city assessor and city administrator, according to Bercede.

The alleged illegal transfer was first reported by Edward Ligas to the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas on September 24, 2024.

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