stifiaara Avenue Cuts, Editor JORADO iNT . A few days oEe I_ wrote about the suit of the Solicitor my favorite: national hroadsheet-tabloid, to pay, the government more than P630 million for the unauthorized and illegal use of the Makati prime properties Sunvar, Creekside and Mile Long, These were owned b both the national government an ‘National Power Corp. (the Property used to be a Napocor power line) under an 80-20 pereent sharing scheme. As said in that previous column, Tmaquite familiar with the case since Ecology Village, where I have a unit, sits on the same prime land under question, The difference, however, is that we at Ecology Village, with 149 resident-owners, are willing to buy from government the 150-square- meter lot where our townhouses have been built, and which we bought from government. Butitseems the Prietos-Rufinos, being owners of an influential bi tare contesting the claim of the government and are in fact still enjoying the fruits of their commercial developments, PPINION of ESS I What will | Here’ a little background: The former Napocor power line was develope former First Lady Imelda Marcos during the Marcos dictatorship when she was Human Settlement Commission chairperson, through the defunct Technology Resource Center Foundation, (now flippin Alternatives which was later chaired by Cory Aquino’s executive secretary, the now- Village, paid lease rental fees y. Our lease agreement was for 25 years, but in the contract we signed, that period could be extended ann for another 25 years upon mutual agreement by lessor and lessees. ‘The government reneged on the contract and canceled the lease on Dec. 31, 2002. After a referendum, we from the Ecology Village decided to buy the lots on which our units have been developed. The problem is that the privatization committee wants us to pay at an exorbitant price per square meter. The figure is even higher than that in our neighbor enclave, San Lorenzo Village. ‘That's where we are now. It is very easy for the owners of the broadsheet-tabloid to cry persecution. the Prietos-Rufinos do? In the case of the Prietos-Rufinos, their case raisesa lot of questions. Why were they given that prime property that sits between Arnaiz (formerly Pasay Road) and Herrera Streets? Under what arrangements did they build commercial buildings where many girlie hars are now found? Wasit hecause of theirinfluence during the Cory Aquino administration since the national broadsheet-tabloid they owned was (or, still is) supportive of the Aquino inistration? We from Beology Village watch with Keen interest the ie a in this case, Essentially we are on the same boat. The difference is that we are willing to buyat fair market value. Butare the Prietos-Rufinos willing to, by ei Sunvar, Creekside, Mile Long and Gallery properties after enjoying the fruits of these buildings fon aii ‘years? Santa Banana, there lies the enmx ofthe matter. Forsure, the Prietos-Rufinos will ory Pirates since their newspaper has | an oppston paper wens isnolonger fatal eu hone, mh ls balanced as required fom Journalists tn our Code of Hthios, My || ulay, will I see the day when the high | | and mighty are made to pay what they | | are supposed to pay government?