CONFRONTING A VICIOUS LIE ARMED WITH SIMPLE TRUTH

Who Owns M’lang Airport?

By Manny Pinol

www.mannypinol.net

At about 10 a.m. today, my brother, retired police colonel Pat Pinol, sent me a text message saying that I was being attacked and vilified by two commentators of Radio Station DXCA in Kidapawan City, who along with their resource person, former vice governor Jose Tuburan Jr., accused me of being the real owner of one half of the 64-hectare M’lang Rural Airport.

Tuburan, who is a member of the dubious technical working group organized by the provincial government to supposedly oversee the airport project which was envisioned and started during my term as Governor of North Cotabato, based his conclusion on a supposed Deed of Sale signed in 2003 reportedly between me and the Buenaflor and Cuerpo families who own the Hacienda de Don Tomas Buenaflor.

I do not listen to DXCA, also known as Charm Radio, because since the day it was established by former Congressman Gregorio Andolana who lost to me when we faced off for the Governorship in 1998, it has incessantly attacked me and accused me of so many wrong-doings.

But when my brother, Pat, complained that the whole Pinol Family was being maligned and compared to Janet Lim Napoles, I was prompted to react.

Since I was working in the farm early this morning, I decided to take a bath and proceeded to the house of Tuburan along the national highway in Balindog, Kidapawan City to confront him.

I was not afraid to confront him face to face because I had nothing to hide and I was armed with the truth.

In the conversation that we had, I asked him very basic questions and from his own mouth came the confirmation that he was not even sure whether his claim that I owned one half of the airport is accurate.

He kept on repeating the phrase: “It appears that…” which I said is not conclusive.

Here are the very basic questions that I asked him:

1. What is your proof that I own one half of the 62-hectare area where the M’lang Airport is being constructed now?

His answer: The Deed of Sale signed in 2003 between me and the owners of the first half of the 62-hectare airport.

2. My second question: Whose check was used to pay for the property? Who received the payment?

His answer: A provincial government check was used to pay for the property but it could not be located. He said it could not be verified who received it.

3. My third question: What are the indisputable proofs of ownership of a property?

His answer: A Deed of Sale.

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It was at this point when I pointed out to him the very basic proofs of ownership first of which is actual possession of the property and second documentary proofs like Land Titles where my name as the owner of the property is printed.

I pointed out to Tuburan that as Governor of the Province of North Cotabato, it was a given that I would sign the Deed of Sale between the Provincial Government which I represented at that time and the Buenaflor/Cuerpo Families.

He pointed out that the first Deed of Sale did not include the phrase “representing the Provincial Government of Cotabato” as in the case in the second Deed of Sale for the other half of the property which was signed in 2004.

I told him that the lawyer who prepared the Deed of Sale, former Board Member Freddie Baynosa who is now paralyzed following an illness, may have missed that line but that did not make me the owner of the property.

In their malicious intention to malign me, Tuburan and the two commentators failed to realize that there were Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolutions authorizing me to negotiate and acquire the property at a price of P200,000 per hectare and to sign the Deed of Sale on behalf of the provincial government of North Cotabato.

They also ignored the fact that the area has been turned over to the Department of Transportation and Communications which is now building a multi-million airport facility which will transform North Cotabato into a better province.

The question is: Was I paid or did I get anything from the DOTC for agreeing that the 32-hectare area which I supposedly “own” be included in the airport development project?

The answer is NO! Nothing! Now, would I be stupid to allow DOTC to take over the area without me gaining anything out of it if indeed I am the owner?

Even a first year college of law student will tell you that there is no theft when nothing is gained. That is called an “impossible crime.”

But here is a very simple argument that will put to shame these people accusing of being the owner of one half of the area of the airport.

If indeed, as they claim, I own the 32 hectare property which is one half of the airport, can I go there now and tell the construction group to get out of the area because I own it?

Those people will laugh at me and call me crazy because the first question that they will ask is: What is your proof of ownership?

I don’t even have a copy of the supposed Deed of Sale signed in 2003 between me and the Buenaflor/Cuerpo families which Tuburan said is his proof that I own the property.

Even if I have a copy of that Deed of Sale, a Class C lawyer like the owner of the radio station will simply say: That is not proof that you own the property.

Yet Tuburan and the two commentators twisted all the facts to make it appear that I am like Janet Lim Napoles who used government funds to acquire the airport property.

At about 11:30 a.m. yesterday, after confronting Tuburan right in his own home, I proceeded to the Police Station of Kidapawan City and met with Chief of Police Leo Ajero.

I asked that the incident where Tuburan and the two commentators maligned me on air over Radio Station DXCA be recorded in the police blotter.

Next week, I will file a multi-million peso libel case against the three of them.

I may be hard up financially now but I will do my best to raise the funds needed for the bond for my multi-million libel suit against these charlatans who peddle lies to further destroy me.

This will teach them a very important lesson in life: Do not kick a man who is down because he will rise up and fight back.

(Photo caption: This photo shows me seated as I engaged Tuburan in a verbal exchange while he was standing up.)

Source: Manny Piñol