UNCENSORED
By MANUEL L. MORATÓ
It took one son to disrupt our family’s lives
There was a time when harmony reigned in our compound since the 1950s when my parents were alive and well. And even after my father passed away in March 6, 1965, the unity in the family compound where the ancestral home once stood, we led a quiet life with my widowed mother whose ancestral home was made available to all the children, until the youngest Jose L. Morato convinced my mother and us way back in the 1970s that he would move in with his family, wife and children “to take care of my mother” and sold his house and lot nearby that my parents have given my five siblings. He and his family took over the ancestral home and hostaged my mother, manipulating her properties through thumb marks and signatures meant to spare my mother from going to the bank to deposit and withdraw. But he used those signed blank bond paper and made arrangement with his friend, Manager of BPI on Morato Avenue that my mother allowed Jose L. Morato alone to deposit/withdraw from my mother’s peso and dollar accounts. To this day, he has not rendered us an accounting of our mother’s dollar and peso savings in the bank of BPI.
Didn’t the manager of BPI smell something fishy, unusual, improper enough to turn our harmony around out of extreme greed, coupled with his associates who come from the wrong side of the alley. Like stray cats, the take over of my mother’s properties were done professionally as landgrabbers would do; secretly.
My parents’ ancestral home was constructed in the early 1950s on three lots, all in the name of my late mother. It is not that we come years after to know that Jose L. Morato has “bought,” “sold” to him or “donated” to him by my mother, either by thumb mark, deed of donation and sale to him dating back to as early 1989. Mina-master na niya ang aming ina. And all the while, my mother was made to sign, thumb mark… thinking about the arrangement Jose L. Morato had informed my mother that she need not bother to go to the bank to attend to her dollar and peso accounts as the BPI Manager then, his friend, had agreed that a simple letter from my mother would do. That’s when the idea of making my mother sign blank bond papers; and thumb marks as well which he evidently used for “deeds of sales” from my mother to him instead of the “withdrawal/deposit” from my mother’s account which was not obviously intended for, just for us to know the true decades after.
The violations are glaring for the three titles in the name of my mother transferred by Jose L. Morato through manipulations and strong connection with the Belmontes in Quezon City who evidently bought my parents’ ancestral home which they demolished contrary to RA 10066 signed by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that no structure 50 years old and above must not be demolished without going to court and a permit from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
The City Council headed by Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Engineer Isagani Versoza, Local Building Official, the Barangay Captain must not approve much less issue “Special Permits” (Special for them?) without thoroughly reading the titles. Stop ninyo ‘yang palakasan; and as I was told and received so many calls from my friends in Quezon City Hall na may malalakas na nagbigay ng isang truck ng lechon sa bawat office ng Fiscals, Judges, Prosecutors and other departments. My friends in Quezon City Hall called me to say how scandalous it was. I hope hindi dead meat ‘yong mga baboy na mga nalunod sa baha ng “Ompong.” Patay na at ini-embalsamo sa freezer para sa Christmas parties sa Quezon City Hall.
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IMPORTANTE
Ito ang hindi napuna ng City Council, Contractors and Local Building Officials at Barangay Captain:
Sa tatlong lote ng ina ko, lahat may encumbrances at restrictions, signed by Ramon N. Velasco, Register of Deeds and Elbert T. Quilala, Register of Deeds. RE. 9319/T-6087 Restrictions A.) No building or construction of any kind shall be erected on the Land herein sold until the plans thereof shall have been submitted to and duly approved by the vendor… and in no case shall any house, edifice or other structures, be constructed within less than two (2) meters from the adjoining lots no less than 4.00 meters from the property line… (We were not told at all even if we lived in the same compound, beside each other.)
B.) The property herein sold and any other construction that shall be made thereon shall be used exclusively for residential purposes and no business, industry or factory of residences whatever kind or nature shall be allowed within the premises… etc…
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