The Land Registration Authority (LRA) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) are to file forfeiture cases against some 320 “titled” lands acquired by controversial Chinese businessman Willie Ong and his associates who were allegedly involved in a P3.6 billion drug bust in September last year. 

Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers announced the developments on Saturday, citing LRA and OSG’s commitment during the recent hearing of his panel, the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, into one of the biggest shabu busts under the Marcos administration. The seized drugs consisting of 530 kilos of shabu were found in a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga.

According to Barbers, the LRA and OSG reached a consensus in a bid to prevent Ong and his associates from disposing of, selling or transferring their illegally obtained assets to the unsuspecting public. 

During the hearing, Salvalente Elizalde, chief of the LRA Legal Division, said that the LRA would endorse an adverse claim to the OSG to be filed in court for the forfeiture of Ong and his associates’ properties.