Following the previous decisions of the Supreme Court at the Court of Appeals, the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (DHSUD) has formally recognized the former board members of the Multinational Village Homeowners Association Inc. (MVHAI) as the legitimate village officers.
In a three-page decision dated Feb. 29, 2024, lawyer Norman Jacinto Doral, DHSUD-NCR regional director, said the MVHAI election conducted last April 2022 wherein businessman Julio Templonuevo, was elected president, is null and void.
The election of MVHAI’s 2022 board of directors was also nullified as a consequence of the Court of Appeals decision in the case docketed as CA-GR No.169167 promulgated on May 26, 2022.
The decision of CA was in effect affirmed by the SC in its resolution dated April 26, 2023, which the resolution has become final and executory on November 6 last year.
In its ruling, the DHSUD recognized the election of the association’s board of directors held in January 2019 headed by its president, Arnel Gacutan. Doral said the 2019 board members remain sitting board of MVHAI in a hold-over capacity until today.
In his directive, Doral ordered Templonuevo and the board members who were elected during the 2022 elections to immediately turn over the association’s books, records, funds, properties and other assets to Gacutan’s board within 15 days.
“This authority includes the authority to demand those occupying the association’s office to vacate there from within the reasonable period,” Doral informed Templonuevo’s group.
According to Doral, only the incumbent board through Gacutan and his vice president are authorized to call the election in accordance with the association’s by-laws.
Doral directed Gacutan to call an election for the members of the 2024 board of directors within 45 days and create an election committee strictly in accordance with the association’s 2006 by-laws.
For there part, officers and employees of the MVHAI appealed to
residents to pay their fees/ transactions to the lawful 2019 board of
directors led by Gacutan and its duly authorized personnel.