City asks for sworn statements against Pagtambayayong

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Legal Office has advised members of the Kamagayan Neighborhood Homeowners Association Inc. (KNHAI) to submit a sworn statement stating all the details of their complaints against Pagtambayayong Foundation before the city conducts a formal investigation.

City Legal Officer II Ismael R. Garaygay III said the allegations of KNHAI against the non-government organization (NGO) are strong that it must be “substantiated with clear, competent and convincing documentary and testimonial evidence.”

KNHAI has been sending letters of complaint to the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor alleging that their payments to the lot they availed of under the city’s socialized housing program are not remitted to the DWUP, but to the Pagtambayayong office.

 They accused Pagtambayayong of corrupting their money while conniving with some DWUP personnel. KNHAI claimed that the payments remitted to Pagtambayayong have reached almost P2 million. KNHAI compiled all receipts issued by the said NGO as proof.

KNHAI asked the DWUP to conduct an investigation of the matter as most of them have been occupying the area for 11 years and yet, they still do not own the property. Some of them who have fully paid and claimed the proof of ownership from DWUP were denied because their payments were not reflected in the records of DWUP.

Lawyer Collin Rosell, head of the DWUP, earlier said that when he visited the relocation site in barangay Canduman, Mandaue City where the KNHAI members were relocated from barangay Kamagayan in 2000, he was told by the residents that the lot was offered to the beneficiaries on the condition that they must also purchase the house that shall be built by Pagtambayayong.

This was contrary to the claim of Pagtambayayong, which said that it was the residents who came to them asking for help in building houses, which the NGO supposedly granted in its desire to help.

Pagtambayayong President Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez earlier said they only collected the money that was for the construction of the houses but denied collecting payment for the lot.

Rosell said that the Pagtambayayong has no legal authority to build houses in Canduman because there was no memorandum of agreement or any agreement executed between the city and the NGO.

Rosell endorsed KNHAI’s complaints to the city legal office for appropriate action.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said it is not his priority to file a case against Pagtambayayong Foundation but to identify means on how to improve the city’s housing program. — (FREEMAN)