The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development-Davao Region (DHSUD-Davao) said that despite their successive warnings and penalties, individuals involved in raw lot schemes continue their fraudulent operation, particularly in social media.
However, these individuals will be meted with heavier fines once they are apprehended by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“Unfortunately, wala pa gihapon sila nahadlok pero kami diria, maningkamot gyud mi na madakpan sila. Pero if ever dili sila maka-justify sa ilahang pagpamaligya, isyuhan nato sila og mga penalties (Unfortunately, they are still not afraid but we are exerting all our effort to catch them. But if they can't justify their actions, we will issue them penalties),” Atty. Roberto Mauro Miguel T. Palma Gil, regional director of DHSUD-Davao said during Thursday’s iSpeak Forum on November 23.
The official also said that their agency is continuously monitoring the scheme prevalent on Facebook.
“In our part, naga-monitor gyud mi sa social media. Naa mi dummy account para kung naa mi makit-an na gabaligya [sa mga lote] amoa nang susihon. Once mahibal-an namo ang mga details like address sa lote nga gibaligya, magpa-issue dayon mi og usa ka notice para ipa-explain namo sa ilaha nganong gabaligya sila (In our part, we are really monitoring it on the social media. We have a dummy account to find those lots that are for sale. Once we know the details like the address of the lot being sold, we will immediately issue a specific notice and let them explain the reason behind selling),” Palma Gil added.
DHSUD-Davao clarified that one of the ultimate considerations when buying properties is to check the seller’s legal documents including the license to sell and certificate of registration issued by their agency in light of the Presidential Decree (PD) 957 otherwise known as The Subdivision and Condominium Buyers’ Protective Decree.
Under Section 8 of the same decree, Suspension of License to Sell, the authority may motu proprio suspend the license to sell if, in its opinion, any information in the registration statement filed by the owner or dealer is or has become misleading, incorrect, inadequate or incomplete or the sale or offering for a sale of the subdivision or condominium project may work or tend to work a fraud upon prospective buyers.
As of press time, DHSUD has yet to disclose the number of individuals and fraud real estate firms that operate and sell raw lots in the Davao Region as part of NBI's seamless investigation and entrapment operation. DEF