Catholic Bishop Broderick Pabillo has requested the national government to investigate foreigners who are frequently visiting and actively buying lands in Taytay, Palawan.
“There are no (ship) sightings, but I’ve been hearing of people buying lands. They might be Chinese nationals or agents, especially since…we are a coastal area facing the West Philippine Sea,” Pabillo said in Filipino in a phone interview with ABS-CBN.
“These buyers of lands should be investigated. They will of course use a dummy, and they quickly pay in cash,” he added.
Taytay is a first-class municipality with 31 barangays encompassing a total land area of 134,238 hectares. Altogether, it accounts for almost a tenth of Palawan’s land.
The municipality with a population of 88,416 (as of December 2021) is located in the north side of the archipelagic province.
“People have been reporting that there are individuals going around, asking for lands for sale. Of course, the Chinese will not be in front, they will try to find a Filipino. But who are really behind them? That should be investigated,” Pabillo said.
“This time is more fearsome. Before, lands are bought because of the sea, tourism. But now the agenda is already different,” he added.