By Perfecto T. Raymundo
MANILA, Oct. 1 (PNA) — The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday stopped the local government of Quezon City from bidding out for sale the UP-Ayala Land Technohub.
This was through a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the SC Second Division against the plan of the Treasurer of Quezon City that the local government bid out for sale the said property of UP to compensate for its unpaid real estate tax reaching to more than Php117 million.
Likewise, the SC Second Division also ordered the local government of Quezon City to submit a comment on the petition filed by UP, through the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), within a period of 10 days from notice.
The UP-Ayala Technohub is a property of UP Diliman which is more than 380,000 square meters that is being leased to Ayala Land Incorporated.
In the petition, Acting Solicitor General Florin Hilbay argued that the UP is exempted from the payment of real estate tax pursuant to the provision of its charter, Republic Act No. 9500.
Hilbay said under Section 25-a of RA 9500, the income and assets of UP are exempted from the payment of tax and this provision covers the properties of UP which are being used for education and to support the operation of the state university. (PNA)