No DAR record on Gregorio’s ownership of Batangas farm

Antonio Tiu (screengrab from GMA News footage)

MANILA – Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes on Monday said that the department has no record of Laureano Gregorio Jr. as a landowner or a beneficiary of the farm in Rosario, Batangas province, allegedly owned by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

The statement contradicts Antonio Tiu’s claim that he brough the farm, a150-hectare property from Gregorio.

Tiu was the alleged ‘dummy’ used by Vice President Binay to hide his ownership of the said property.

“We have no record of a Laureano Gregorio as a landowner or FB (farmer-beneficiary) in the six barangays (villages),” De los Reyes said on the phone, referring to the villages straddled by the property in Rosario town.

Last Thursday, Tiu made available to the senators, a copy of the agreement between him and Gregorio.

In the said agreement, Tiu’s Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corp. was allowed to use the property for his agro-tourism venture.

The agreement, however was not notarized.

Meanwhile, the Agrarian Reform Secretary refused to make any comments when asked what the non-existent of Gregorio’s record meant, saying that he did not want to speculate.