THE owners of the duplex in Brgy. Tulungatong, Zamboanga City, that collapsed mid of February 2018 and its buyer are now in hot water after the National Housing Authority filed charges against them on April 6, 2018.

Charged before the Zamboanga City Regional Trial Court were original unit beneficiaries Amrin Joe Pakkal and Sarip Juamad Ismail; and buyer Ali-Akbal Mohammad Kahal for disregarding NHA policies, rules and regulations on Housing Loan Agreement.

The three were involved in selling, buying and altering NHA housing units, a gross violation of the contract signed between the awardees and NHA which states that “… Sale or transfer of the lot/unit shall not be allowed except through heredity succession; and the borrower-assignor shall not change nor convert the use of residential lot/unit without the written consent from NHA.”

National Housing Authority General Manager Marcelino P. Escalada Jr., upon learning the crashing incident, ordered the strict imposition of the terms and conditions of contracts between the beneficiaries and the Authority.

“Review the contracts, impose the terms and conditions of contracts,” he said, further warning NHA beneficiaries not to engage in such activity as stricter penalties await them. Emphasizing, “File a case against the awardee(s) for selling it and the buyer for destroying the property of the National Housing Authority. That will send a strong signal to all living in that particular place.”

The duplex was part of the 383 housing units built by the NHA under the Zamboanga City Roadmap to Recovery and Reconstruction (Z3R).