MANILA, Philippines -- Sandiganbayan Sheriff Ed Urieta on Monday began preparations for the public auction of the controversial “Boracay mansion” despite a motion by lawyers of deposed president Joseph Estrada to quash the forfeiture order.

At the same time, the Land Registration Authority ordered the Quezon City government to relinquish its title to the property.

“We have not received an order from the court stopping us from implementing the writ of execution so we will push through with the public bidding of the Boracay mansion,” Urieta told the Philippine Daily Inquirer over the phone.

But the now-dilapidated Boracay mansion, one of four assets covered by the court’s writ of execution, still managed to surprise: There are actually two titles covering the property.

The bigger chunk of the property, covering 5,200 square meters, was titled in the name of the Quezon City government in 2005 after its alleged owners -- St. Peter’s Holdings Inc. -- failed to settle P1.7 million in land taxes.

On Monday, Quezon City treasurer Victor Endriga told the Inquirer he was surprised to learn the 7,200-sq m property, at 10th and 11th Streets, in the village of Mariana, New Manila, was actually two adjoining properties with separate titles. The smaller 2,000-square meter portion was still titled to St. Peter’s Holdings.

Endriga said he only found this out recently when the smaller portion, valued at P23.6 million, was included in the list of properties scheduled for auction on December 13. The city treasurer immediately delisted the property to avoid further conflict with the Sandiganbayan. Jocelyn R. Uy and Jeannette I. Andrade