Solons file bill on forfeiture of illegal, foreign-owned real estate

By Filane Mikee Cervantes, Philippine News Agency

The bill seeks to strengthen the constitutional prohibition on foreign land ownership, particularly against those who exploit legal loopholes and use falsified documentation to circumvent the law. (File photo courtesy of DILG via PNA)

MANILA – A group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Thursday filed a bill authorizing the government to seize illegally acquired real estate properties owned by foreign nationals, particularly those linked to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David Suarez, and House Quad Committee chairs Robert Ace Barbers, Dan Fernandez, Bienvenido Abante Jr., and Joseph Stephen Paduano filed House Bill 11043 or the proposed Civil Forfeiture Act in response to the criminal activities associated with POGOs, including human trafficking and illegal drugs.

The bill seeks to strengthen the constitutional prohibition on foreign land ownership, particularly against those who exploit legal loopholes and use falsified documentation to circumvent the law.

The Philippine Constitution limits private land ownership to Filipino citizens or corporations with at least 60 percent Filipino ownership, with limited exceptions.

“The continued violation to the provisions of our Constitution on alien land ownership cannot be allowed to continue,” the bill’s explanatory note read.

The lawmakers noted that congressional investigations revealed that some foreign nationals have secured fake birth certificates, passports, and other official documents, allowing them to purchase land illegally.

Last month, the House Quad Committee submitted key documents to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for potential legal actions against Chinese nationals accused of using fake Filipino citizenship to acquire land and establish businesses in the Philippines.

“Thousands of aliens have been flocking to the Philippines to establish [POGOs] which has turned out to be closely linked to criminal activities, such as human trafficking and illegal drugs,” the lawmakers said.

Under the bill, any land transferred or conveyed to an unqualified foreign national would be deemed null and void, with forfeiture proceedings to be initiated by the OSG and supported by the Department of Justice.

Furthermore, the bill assumes that all real estate properties owned by foreign nationals are unlawfully acquired unless proven otherwise.

The measure outlines the repurposing of forfeited properties for public use.

Agricultural land would be distributed to eligible farmers under the Department of Agrarian Reform, while non-agricultural land could be allocated for schools, and hospitals, or transferred to local governments for social services.

The bill also seeks to improve monitoring and enforcement by involving local government units and the Land Registration Authority.

The lawmakers stressed the need to enhance existing foreign land ownership policies and reallocate forfeited properties for public use to curb these corrupt practices.

“Moving forward, it is then imperative to never let such activities continue in the Philippines,” they said in the bill’s explanatory note.