I would like to ask for general legal advice regarding a **₱60,000 debt dating back to 2017** and a related family property dispute.
A relative of ours, who is **my father’s niece—the daughter of his eldest sibling**, borrowed **₱60,000 from my mother in 2017**. Based on our records, no amount of the principal has been repaid.
For years, we were told that payment would supposedly come from the proceeds or share from a property/farm once it was resolved or sold.
Recently, however, she said:
**“Bakit pa inaayos? Hindi naman na maaayos.”**
This raises the obvious question: if the property is no longer expected to provide the payment, **what happens to the ₱60,000 debt?**
**About the property**
Based on what our family knows, the property was donated to my father's father. There was subsequently a dispute over the land that reached the RTC.
An arrangement was allegedly made by the relative's father with the opposing party, involving the surrender of the land claim in exchange for a **percentage of the proceeds if the property would eventually be sold.**
The issue is that **my father and his five siblings were apparently not aware of this arrangement at the time.**
Why was this not disclosed to the siblings?
They live close to each other, yet some of them allegedly learned about what happened to the property from other people rather than directly from their own sibling.
There is also another agricultural property that had previously been **mortgaged/pledged and later transferred**, and there are questions regarding the total amount received from that transaction and where the proceeds went.
The relative also previously said that **her father had been “nag-aabono” or advancing expenses.** If that's the case, what would normally be considered sufficient proof or documentation of those expenses? And why wasn't this properly explained to the other siblings?
At present, **my father is the one trying to address and resolve the remaining issues concerning the property.** He is the one dealing with the paperwork, expenses, complications, and other matters involved in trying to sort everything out.
It feels like some people want to have a say in the eventual benefits of the property without wanting to participate in the burden of resolving it.
**About the DILG issue**
There is also a separate issue involving the DILG.
Government personnel reportedly visited them, and the relative allegedly accused my father of being the person who reported them.
**We are not aware of any evidence that my father was the complainant.**
Another relative also mentioned that government personnel had visited them, so we are unsure why my father was immediately identified as the person responsible.
My question is: **what would be considered sufficient evidence before publicly accusing someone of making a government complaint?**
We are concerned because there have apparently been various stories and accusations circulating about my father and other relatives, and we don't want assumptions or hearsay to be treated as facts.
**About the ₱60,000 debt**
The frustrating part is that this debt has been outstanding since **2017**.
Nine years.
No payment toward the principal.
The explanation for years was essentially that payment would come from the property once it was resolved or sold. But if the borrower now believes that the property **“hindi naman na maaayos,”** then what happens to the debt?
**Can the borrower simply rely on the property as an excuse for non-payment indefinitely, or can the creditor demand payment independently of the property?**
**Questions**
**1. Can a ₱60,000 debt from 2017 still be legally collected?**
2. What evidence would be useful to establish the debt—bank transfers, messages, written acknowledgments, witnesses, etc.?
3. Does the fact that the borrower repeatedly said payment would come from property proceeds affect the underlying debt if the property is never sold?
4. What documents should the family obtain regarding the RTC case and the alleged settlement/arrangement involving the property?
5. If one family member allegedly entered into an arrangement involving property without informing the other siblings, what documents should the siblings obtain to determine what actually happened?
6. What records would be relevant in determining what happened to the proceeds from the agricultural property that was previously mortgaged/pledged and later transferred?
7. If someone falsely accuses my father of filing a government complaint, what evidence should we preserve in case the accusation continues?
**8. What would be the proper legal step to take first regarding the ₱60,000 debt?**
I'm mainly looking for **general legal advice on what documents we should gather, whether the debt can still be pursued, and what legal options may be available.** We want to understand the situation properly before taking any further action.
