Nasugbu LGU wants Roxas haciendas closure

Amid heightened tensions over land disputes, the municipality of Nasugbu, Batangas is moving to pursue any potential foreclosure of Roxas and Company Inc. (RCI) haciendas composed of Haciendas Palico, Banilad, and Kaylaway.

Nasugbu Mayor Antonio Barcelon served a notice to RCI on Monday for the revocation of its business permit should RCI continue to fail to settle its real property taxes which were initially estimated to reach P1 billion.

“This serves as a formal notice to your company of the possible revocation of your business permit by this office should you continue to fail to settle your RPT which has become due and demandable,” Barcelon wrote.

Likewise, Barcelon penned a letter to the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), emphasizing the urgent need to implement all possible measures and resources to resolve ongoing issues related to unpaid taxes and a long-standing land dispute.

According to the local government, the issue has been affecting a significant portion of the population, as it involves eight barangays totaling 38,523 residents.

“Please be informed that Roxas y Cia has not been paying the RPT on the properties mortgaged with your bank,” Barcelon wrote.

In a resolution dated 6 May, the Municipal Council of Nasugbu, Batangas also appealed to the national government to help protect the interests of the Nasugbu residents whose lands are threatened to be seized by RCI.

The resolution called on the Department of Agrarian Reform to uphold the Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) granted to the farmers as part of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and to resist the efforts by RCI to retake the Roxas Haciendas through means such as CARP exemption, land conversion, and CLOA cancellation.

RCI's recent financial statements indicate outstanding bank loans and unpaid interest amounting to around P4.2 billion.

Notably, approximately half of this amount is owed to BPI, with approximately P1 billion classified as current liabilities and past due for payment, primarily also owed to BPI.

Certain properties of the Roxas Haciendas serve as collateral and have been mortgaged to secure the loan obligations of RCI with local banks.