Benque resident/taxpayer comments on Appeals Court win

The man at the center of the land case, Sam Bruce, says it was a surreal experience because he had done charity and community based work for the past two decades in Benque Viejo. He says he couldn’t believe that a hard working taxpayer, who used his own capital to develop his land for community use, would be compensated by a government willing to use strong-arm tactics to deprive him of his property.

Sam Bruce, Won Appeals Court Ruling against A.G. Ministry

“When I heard they were taking my land and I won and they appealed it, I was in disbelief because here we have a community project to promote entrepreneurships, to work hand in hand with the community policing program—I’m the own fort captain, I’m a special constable—I am the chairman of Benque chamber of commerce. So my whole goal is to promote and create positive things for the town. And even the town council in their magazine, they promote my projects. Here they are actually promoting the park because they know this is a good thing. So I was in total disbelief of why this was happening. I couldn’t understand it. Here they want to take away my land when it has already been proven that the Mount Carmel has an abundance of land.”

Jose Sanchez

Sam Bruce

“How do you feel now knowing that not only did you win, but it’s a landmark case—it’s probably going to be looked at for other land owners who may have lost land to any governments to come?”

Sam Bruce

“For me this is one of the main incentives to pursue the case because Mr. Musa explained the importance of the case and that how this could affect persons in the future generations to come. And it was so important to pursue it to protect those rights of all property owners for now and in the future.”

Bruce is involved in numerous community projects and is currently constructing a pool and a park in Benque Viejo.