THE poor families claiming ownership over parcels of land in Batangas shouldbe patient and wait until the land is awarded to them, an official said yesterday.

?We have already completed the survey of the areas as required by the Supreme Court and submitted the survey results to the court,? Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said.

?It is now up to the court to nullify the land titles that were found to have covered portions of the public land,? he said.

The Ayala family has been claiming ownership of the land measuring 1,769 hectares in Calatagan, but in July 1999 the Supreme Court declared it government land and denied its petition to possess it.

The Supreme Court first declared the land as government property in 1965. It then ordered government agencies to implement its order in 1988 after the family failed in its attempts to block the decision.

Atienza ordered the area surveyed in May 2008 after farmers complained that they were being prevented from occupying their land despite the Supreme Court?s decision.

He said the government was poised to repossess 1,769 hectares in Calatagan based on the survey.

President Arroyo had ordered him to repossess the property as quickly as possible so that people claiming ownership of parcels of it could be attended to, he said.

?The President?s directive is to implement the Supreme Court decision, provide all support to the court to hasten the repossession process, and protect the interest of the poor families of Calatagan,? Atienza said.

He said the Supreme Court affirmed the survey in 2008, and that ?it should not be regarded as an opening for another round of litigation on the issues definitively settled a long time ago.

?This should end our 40-year legal battle on this issue,? Atienza said.

He said he volunteered the services of government lawyers to defend poor families facing eviction cases filed by people who had bought parcels of the contested property. Othel V. Campos