Department of Housing gains House Support

The House of Representatives is working on the approval of a measure seeking to create the Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure the delivery of affordable and decent housing for underprivileged and homeless Filipinos.

Three House panels–House Committee on Government Reorganization, Housing and Urban Development and Appropriations endorsed House Bill 6194 or the proposed “Department of Housing and Urban Development Act” for plenary approval.

As contained in the Committee Report No. 909, the House panel, chaired by Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab recommended the approval of HB 6194, a consolidation of seven bills.

The measure calls for the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development by consolidating the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

“The objective of the bill is to rationalize and coordinate the functions and powers of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC), Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) and National Housing Authority (NHA),” Benitez, chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development said.

He explained that the measure abolishes the HUDCC and transfers its powers, functions, funds and appropriations records, equipment, property and personnel to the Department.

HB 6194 also reconstitutes the HLURB as the Human Settlements Adjudicatory Commission (HSAC) which shall operate as an independent commission within the Department, he said.

The proposed Act attaches the NHA, HGC,NHMFC, HDMF and SHFC to the Department, Benitez noted.

“This seeks to establish an efficient, effective, comprehensive and integrated national and local housing and urban development program aimed at adequately addressing the basic housing needs and requirement of the Filipino family,” he stressed.

HB 6194 provides that the Department shall be headed by a Secretary and assisted by four undersecretaries to be appointed by the President.

“The bill mandates the implementation of a rational well-balanced orderly and efficient development of urban communities and the development of new settlements in rural and non-farm areas to assure dwellers of decent and affordable housing job and livelihood opportunities, efficient mass transit, public safety, health care, educational opportunities and clean environment,” Benitez said.

SOURCE:  Manila Bulletin

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HLURB official faces suspension

THE regional director of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board-Southern Mindanao Region (HLURB-SMR) is facing a one month suspension after the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao found probable cause to charge him for perjury following the alleged non-disclosure of a lending business in his 2010 statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN).

HLURB 11 director lawyer Miguel Palma Gil told Sun.Star Davao in an interview Wednesday that he received the order from the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao on September 15 but he has yet to serve the suspension pending receipt of an order from HLURB supervising commissioner for Southern Mindanao Region lawyer Luis Paredes.

"I have yet to receive the order from Commissioner Paredes but I am expecting to serve the suspension by November. Also, I still have a lot of pending documents and activities to settle so that the transition for the designated officer-in-charge will be smooth," Palma Gil said.

The regional director lamented on the suspension saying, "It is just saddening that I will have to be suspended when I am not involved in any malicious transactions. In fact, when I took over as the director, our office has been commended for three straight years due to our excellent performance. But I will have to respect the decision of the Ombudsman so I am just waiting for the order of the commissioner."

FILPRIMEHOMES

The case stemmed from the complaint filed by lawyer Aimee Torrefranca who accused Palma Gil of not disclosing a lending business worth more than P2 million in his 2010 SALN.

Torrefranca, who is the ex-girlfriend of Palma Gil, was given by the latter a total of P2,013,000 sometime in 2010, which she claimed as an investment for a money lending business. The business, however, did not materialize after the two had split up.

In 2012, Palma Gil sent demand letters to Torrefranca asking the latter to return the investment. This then became the ground for Torrefranca to file the complaint as the so-called investment in 2010 should have been included in Palma Gil's SALN.

A portion of the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao resolution dated August 29 read, "The fact that the respondent invested a total amount of P2,013,000.00 in a lending business in 2010 is uncontroverted. It is important to note that respondent did not dispute his two demand letters to complaint pertaining to the return of his investments. Respondent's assertion in his counter-affidavit that such amount came from his family runs contrary to his statements as containing in his two letters aside from the fact that such defense is not substantiated by any evidence. Nowhere in the letters of respondent was it mentioned or indicated that what was being demanded by him was the personal debt of complainant to his family."

The resolution also stated that Palma Gil was not able to explain where such money came from.

"Based on the respondent's SALN as of December 31, 2010, it is clear that he declared no cash on hand or cash in bank during that year as possible source of his investment involving substantial amount of money," the resolution read.

But Palma Gil, in his motion for reconsideration, insisted that the money came from his mother and he clarified that the it was not an investment but rather a cash assistance for Torrefranca being her girlfriend.

This contention, however, was not acknowledged by the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao thus, the charges were affirmed.
Source: Sunstar

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