Globe Asiatique tries to talk unit buyers into suing Pag-Ibig

Delfin Lee. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Lawyers of Globe Asiatique owner Delfin Lee urged complainants to turn the tables on the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), or the Pag-Ibig Fund, by offering them a continuous stay in their condominium units at GA Tower 2 on Edsa in Mandaluyong City, documents obtained by the Inquirer showed.

In a recent meeting between the complainants and Lee’s lawyers led by Willie Rivera, which was attended by the Inquirer, a letter addressed to condominium unit buyers was distributed by the realty firm employees.

Wrongful advice

Attached to the letter was a prepared affidavit with the names of the complainants on it accusing Pag-Ibig of giving wrongful advice.

The letter stated that in exchange for the signed affidavits of the complainants against Pag-Ibig, the realty firm would desist from further action against them.

“Please sign the attached affidavit so that we can remove your name from the list of delinquent buyers who are due for ejectment and peaceably remain in possession of the unit that you are presently occupying until our issues with HDMF are cleared,” the letter said.

The letter also advised unit buyers to coordinate with the realty office to forward the petition against Pag-Ibig  to the Housing Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

“We advise you further to coordinate with our office as soon as possible so that we can help you petition the HLURB for the consignation of your monthly amortization which is rejected by HMDF to protect your interest over the condominium unit which you proposed to purchase from our company,” the letter added.

During the meeting where the documents were handed out, Rivera also announced that those who would join the lawsuit against Pag-Ibig would receive free legal assistance from the realty firm.

However, he said, those who had hired their own lawyers, could still file a case against Pag-Ibig Fund and promised that GA would reimburse their legal expenses.

“Pag-Ibig is stupid to reject your payments to them and told you to stop paying to Globe Asiatique and you should file a case against them before the HLURB,” Rivera said.

But according to the complainants who attended, the meeting did not provide them with any answers and left them even more confused.

“We attended the meeting hoping that we could be enlightened on the status of our investments, but the more we are now confused,” a unit owner who asked not to be named for fear of further harassment from the realty company told the Inquirer.

Rivera said that GA was allowed by law to engage in the replacement buyer scheme which they applied to GA 2.

Double selling

GA 2 Tower unit owners in Mandaluyong City had complained of double selling by Lee and its realty company.

Lee, his son Dexter, and other company officials have been charged with fraud and are the subjects of warrants of arrest.

The unit owners received notices of cancellation of their contracts and were being evicted after they stopped payment of their amortization when they found out from Pag-Ibig that their units were not in their names and had been sold twice.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, who also chairs the Pag-Ibig Board of Trustees, had earlier directed the HLURB to broaden the scope of its cease-and-desist order (CDO) slapped on the realty firm and directed Pag-Ibig to issue certifications to complainants  that Pag-Ibig now had jurisdiction over the GA property.