Several House leaders filed House Bill No. 11043, or the proposed “Civil Forfeiture Act,” authorizing the government to seize unlawfully acquired real estate properties by foreign nationals, particularly those linked to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
The bill is a result of the ongoing investigation by the House Quad Committee into the alleged criminal activities linked with POGOs, such as human trafficking and illegal drugs.
The proposed “Civil Forfeiture Act” aims to support the constitutional ban on foreign land ownership, provided in the 1935 Constitution. It targets individuals who circumvent constitutional restrictions using falsified documents, enabling the civil forfeiture of such properties.
The bill was introduced by Senior Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzales, Deputy Speaker Jay-jay Suarez, as well as Quad Committee chairs Robert Ace Barbers, Dan Fernandez, Benny Abante and Joseph Stephen Paduano.
Other authors are Quad Comm senior vice chair Romeo Acop and Representatives Johnny Ty Pimentel, Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, Rodge Gutierrez, Francisco Paolo Ortega V, Jefferson Khonghun and Jonathan Keith Flores.
Authors of the bill highlighted in its explanatory note that the continued violation of the provisions of the Constitution on alien land ownership cannot be allowed to continue.
“Many violators are connected to POGOs, which President Marcos Jr. banned due to their association with criminal activities.”
According to them, many violators are connected to POGOs, which President Marcos Jr. banned due to their association with criminal activities.
Article XII, Sections 7 and 8 of the 1987 Constitution specifically restrict private land ownership to Filipinos or corporations with at least 60 percent Filipino ownership. The bill seeks to support this provision strictly, particularly against foreign nationals who use fraudulent means to bypass the law.
According to the bill’s authors, this issue has aggravated in recent years, especially with the rise of POGOs under former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“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 bill stated.
Under the bill, any land transferred or conveyed to an unqualified foreign national would be deemed null and void. The OSG, with support from the Department of Justice, would initiate civil forfeiture proceedings.
“Any real estate acquired by a foreign national is unlawfully acquired unless proven otherwise.”
The bill also assumes that any real estate acquired by a foreign national is unlawfully acquired unless proven otherwise. It contains provisions to ensure forfeited properties are repurposed for the public good.
Quad Comm leaders, along with Gonzales and Suarez, also recently filed the proposed “Anti-Offshore Gaming Operations Act” that would ban all offshore gaming in the country and impose penalties for violations.
