Congress eyes probe of HLURB takeover

Congress is planning to probe irregularities allegedly committed by Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) officials in relation to a homeowner’s association problem in Parañaque.

According to United BF Homeowners Association Inc. (UBFHAI) president Celso Reyes, Quezon City Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo is spearheading the move.

Reyes said Crisologo has filed House Resolution 310, which calls on the House of Representatives committee on housing and urban development to look into the HLURB’s allegedly questionable decision to take over the affairs and operations of their organization.

Reyes told The STAR that a congressional inquiry on the issue is part of the UBFHAI board’s determination “to exhaust all legal remedies” to resolve their problem.

In a letter to members of the homeowner’s group, he said Crisologo’s resolution informed Congress of how HLURB arbiter Dunstan San Vicente “arbitrarily, wantonly, and maliciously disregarded Section 4, Rule 6 of the HLURB when he tenaciously issued six orders directing non-parties to the case with the sole and determined intention to install the mancom (management committee) to replace the UBFHAI board” in managing the association.

Reyes said the resolution stressed that the alleged irregularities “are serious and damaging” enough to warrant “immediate congressional investigation.”

He added that Crisologo filed the resolution in reaction to the UBFHAI’s appeal for Congress’ intercession “in the light of the Gestapo-like actuations of the HLURB, amounting to oppression, grave misconduct, abuse of position, gross neglect of duties, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, among other acts and omissions which are contrary to law and existing regulations.”

Last week, the HLURB upheld its earlier ruling to have a mancom take over all management and financial operations of the UBFHAI despite the latter’s efforts to nullify the order. 

The agency maintained its earlier decision calling for an audit of the UBFHAI’s financial statements from 2004 to present, based on complaints of alleged irregular disbursements amounting to more than P7 million.

The mancom was also tasked to “discharge day-to-day administrative and financial operations” and call for an election of UBFHAI sectoral representatives and officers 30 days after submission of final audit report to the Homeowners Association Franchising Unit of the Expanded NCR Field Office.

In 2005, former UBFHAI president Rolando Navarro filed a case against Reyes before the HLURB after he exposed alleged anomalies and was disqualified from running against the latter during a UBFHAI election.

Navarro, who vowed to continue fighting alleged graft and corruption within the organization, said he is no longer interested in running for president and is daring Reyes to also refrain from seeking re-election.