 By virtue of its charter, the PPA was attached to what was then the Department of Public Works and Highways's responsibility.The executive order also granted PPA financial autonomy.On August 24, 2007, the Philippine Supreme Court (per 24-page decision by Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez), ordered PPA to pay 231 residents of Batangas City the just compensation sum of P6 billion as payment of 185 lots it bought in 2001 for the construction of Phase 2 of the Batangas Port Zone.