for the “quick resolution of the issues brought out (before the court) by the Pag-IBIG Fund” against Lee, who had developed the housing projects some seven years ago.
Some 300 residents of Xevera have already received foreclosure notices from Pag-IBIG which, ironically, had initially refused to accept their monthly amortizations after Lee was arrested over a year ago on allegations of syndicated estafa over the Xevera projects.
Lee has languished at the provincial jail in the City of San Fernando after local Regional Trial Court judge Amifaith Fider Reyes ordered him arrested in 2014.
The open letter, signed by homeowner association presidents Antonio Galura of Bacolor and Rolando Santos of Mabalacat and other officers, noted that six years ago, some 10,000 families moved into “peaceful and progressive communities” in Xevera.
The signatories described the Xevera projects as “modern enclaves with our own churches, schools, municipal halls (for the local governments of Bacolor and Mabalacat), markets, clubhouses and even sports complexes.”
They also cited school buildings where free schooling for residents were also offered.
These facilities were virtual donations from Lee.
“But all of these were lost after the alleged ‘Globe Asiatique Realty housing scandal’ broke out in 2010,” they lamented.
“We believe the time is ripe to expose the real motive of the politician behind the alleged Globe Asiatique housing scandal so that the case can move on to its final resolution,” the letter said.
Contrary to the allegations of Pag-IBIG, the residents said they were not “ghost buyers” of their housing units, nor has any one else showed up in their homes to assert ownership of their units over the last six years.
In a statement read for him by his lawyer Willie Rivera before the Senate blue ribbon committee last April, Lee blamed Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay for his arrest, after he allegedly ignored a P200-million extortion attempt of the latter. Binay was then head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).
Ramon Recto, 57, a half-brother of Sen. Ralph Recto and resident of Xevera in Bacolor, said he was among the buyers who had received foreclosure notices from Pag-IBIG or the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF).
“We initially blamed Lee for our fate because he was demonized in media for the syndicated estafa case lodged against him by Pag-IBIG, but scrutiny of his case has convinced us that Pag-IBIG, and not Lee, is all to blame,” said Recto who was among the Xevera homeowners who filed a complaint before the RTC in San Fernando against Pag-IBIG on the foreclosure orders.
When Binay assumed post as chairman of the HUDCC, Pag-IBIG unilaterally sundered its contract with Lee’s Globe Asiatique which was initially entitled to collect monthly amortizations from Xevera homeowners and remitting the funds to Pag-IBIG.
Despite junking this arrangement with Lee, Pag-IBIG refused to accept amortization payments from homeowners.
After several months, Pag-IBIG decided to accept payments, but this time already with interest.
Pag-IBIGFund has also failed to release the titles of homeowners who have fully paid for their Xevera units.
Lee’s case has remained pending before the Supreme Court.
