Globe Asiatique executives face more charges

MANILA, Philippines –  Another group of homeowners filed yesterday a criminal complaint against Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings (GA) and its officers before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with the firm’s alleged anomalous housing projects in Pampanga.

The complaint is the third filed against the real estate developer on the alleged questionable housing transactions with homeowners. 

In a transmittal submitted to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) sought the indictment of GA president Delfin Lee and eight others for syndicated estafa constituting economic sabotage on the complaint filed by homeowners’s group in Xevera Homes in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula said the homeowners sought the help of his agency after they found out that the properties they bought from GA were actually covered by another sale to borrowers in the Pag-IBIG Fund.

Aside from Lee, charged were GA employees Jacquiline Magsumbol, liaison officer for the Xevera project in Mabalacat, Pampanga; Christina Sagun, head of the documentation department; Jacqueline Gamboa, property manager; Helen Dizon, marketing coordinator; Elmer Nunag, clerk; Desiree Joy David, billing and collection; Nanette Rose Haguiling, accountant; and Alex Alvarez, manager of Pag-IBIG’s foreclosure department.

The new syndicated estafa case is based on separate complaints filed by Jennifer Gloria, Ferdinand de Guzman, Gina Babula, Fatima Kanoya, Arlene Arca, and Pag-IBIG Fund represented by Emma Linda Faria.

Lee denied the allegations that they took out at least P6.6 billion in housing loan proceeds from buyers of their housing projects.

Lee argued that their firm did not commit syndicated estafa when GA paid for the amortizations of some of the buyers unidentified in the complaint since it was provided in a Funding Commitment Agreement with Pag-IBIG.

He said there was also no proof showing GA intended to commit fraud by conspiring among its officers and the Pag-IBIG employee named as respondent.