HOUSING SYNDICATES TO GET FULL FORCE OF THE LAW--VP NOLI
April 10, 2008

Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Noli “Kabayan” De Castro warned yesterday housing syndicates shall get the full force of the law as he lauded the arrest of fake representatives of the National Housing Authority (NHA) for selling government lands.

Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation-Background Investigation Division (NBI-BID) nabbed recently (April 2) Maricris “Babes” Arcilla, Milagros Gutierrez and Joy Gutierrez, De Castro said.

He said the three are allegedly members of a group that fraudulently markets and sells to the public the Northville 2B Resettlement Project, an In- City Resettlement Project of the National Government located at Bagumbong, Caloocan City.

The arrest was successfully made in cooperation with the NHA, GMA-7 Imbestigador personnel and the complainant identified as Anna Reyes (not her real name).

Reyes claimed that Arcilla offered her a subdivision lot with a reservation fee of P10, 000 which she agreed to pay to the three suspects after visiting the site in Bagumbong.

However, she was appalled to learn later that the suspects are not connected with the NHA when she made verification on their identities at the housing agency, prompting her to seek the help of Imbestigador.

Wasting no time, Imbestigador personnel coordinated with the NBI and the NHA, a shelter agency under HUDCC, which led to the arrest of the suspects.

Meanwhile, De Castro reminded the public to be careful in buying properties as there are many land and housing syndicates that victimize people.

He urged prospective buyers to deal only with legitimate representatives of private and government housing agencies to avoid being victimized by the syndicates. He also urged other victims of this sham to come out of the public to help stop this nefarious activity.

For those arrested, De Castro said they have to face the investigation and suffer the consequences as provided by the law.

"Let me remind the public that the government is serious in pursuing a genuine housing program. Those found using it for illegal purposes shall be punished," he said.

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