NBI probes alleged SHFC scam

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has started its investigation of the alleged anomalies involving an official of the Social Housing Finance Corp., a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

The NBI’s special action unit is looking into the allegation that SHFC president Ricardo Cabling received a P4 million check from an organized community group as payment for a property included in the SHFC’s program. The property was allegedly owned by Cabling’s family.

SHFC provides housing assistance for organized communities belonging to informal settlers.

The bureau is also investigating an allegation that Cabling spent P1 million in government funds to pay for two months’ stay at a posh hotel in Makati for his grassroots action team and P2 million for plane tickets for the team from Davao to Manila.  

Cabling has denied all allegations, saying those behind them are former SHFC employees dismissed due to corruption.

“The project in question is merely a continuation of community-initiated efforts to acquire land, which started more than a decade ago. Initial payment for the other phases of the project was made a long time ago, even before Cabling became president of SHFC,” Lorie Bundoc, SHFC strategic communications division manager, told The STAR.

“The transaction was between the community and the landowners. The landowners did not transact directly with SHFC. Everything went through SHFC’s regular process of loan application,” she added. 

She also denied that government funds were used to pay for the hotel stay and plane fare.