The Request alleges that the Bank-financed Philippines: Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling Project (SPLIT) is being used to dispossess the Requesters of their inherited land based on a fraudulent survey conducted under the Project. The Requesters allege that the Bank has failed to adequately supervise Project implementation and is violating the Bank’s Policies on Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement (ESS5) and Stakeholder Engagement and Disclosure (ESS10).
The Requesters allege a complete breakdown of the Project's Grievance Redress Mechanism at the local level. Specifically, they allege responsible officials did not adequately respond to formal inquiries and deliberately conducted incomplete site inspections to avoid documenting the absence of boundary markers in relation to the Requesters’ property. The Requesters also allege that Project authorities obstructed the Requesters’ efforts to seek redress, and they raise additional concerns that allege fraud, conflict of interest, and suppression of evidence.
Following its review of information gathered through due diligence, the Panel confirmed that the Request did not meet one of the admissibility criteria for Registration. The Panel considered that Management was not made aware of the issues concerning ESS5 and ESS10 raised in the Request prior to its submission, as set out in paragraph 14(d) of the Operating Procedures. The Panel issued a Notice of Non-Registration on this basis. The Panel advised the Requesters on the Panel Process and the admissibility requirements. The Notice of Non-Registration does not preclude the Requesters from submitting a future Request for Inspection related to this Project.
