SC allows Romero firm to sue gov’t for P4.5-B claim

The Supreme Court has ruled with finality that a construction firm owned by real estate magnate Reghis Romero II, may proceed with its legal action to collect P4.5 billion as settlement from the government for its controversial low-cost housing project during the Ramos administration.

In a notice issued on Thursday, the high court’s Special First Division informed the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Home Guaranty Corp. (HGC) that it had denied anew for lack of merit their bid to stop the civil case filed by R-II Builders Inc. in the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

It affirmed its July 26, 2017 ruling which tossed out the petition of NHA and HGC, questioning the attempt of R-II Builders to recover the amount for the botched Smokey Mountain Development and Reclamation Project in Tondo, Manila.

“(C)onsidering that there is no substantial argument to warrant a modification of this court’s resolution, the court resolves to deny reconsideration with finality,” the tribunal said in a notice signed by the deputy division clerk of court, Librada Buena.

The housing project, which was awarded to R-II by the administration of former President Fidel V. Ramos, was supposed to turn the Smokey Mountain dump into a community to provide decent housing to some 3,000 families through a joint venture with the NHA. –MARLON RAMOS