Return Control Of Our Gates, Homeowners Appeal

In a letter to City Mayor Imelda Aguilar of Las Piñas, residents of Inner Circle Homeowners’ Association, led by Sandigan Justice Diosdado M. Peralta and Court of Appeals Justice Audrey L. Peralta, appealed for the return of control of the Concha Cruz gates to the subdivision’s security guards. The full text of the letter-appeal of February 7, 2006, follows.

Dear Mayor Aguilar:

We are writing this appeal in behalf of United BF Homeowners’ Association, and our suffering residents. Like all homeowners in gated subdivisions, we aspire for peace, security and environmental cleanliness in our village. These were our expectations when we invested our savings in BF Homes. We believe they are legitimate aspirations. Our residents ask for nothing more and nothing less than the benefits normally guaranteed by land and housing developers, in our case BF Homes, Inc., and it is our desire to regain the internal peace security and environmental cleanliness we used to have.

The opening of our gates to the general public, first by the City of Parañaque, then by the City of Las Piñas, has created havoc and insecurity within BF Homes. Whereas before, the entry, movement, and flow of vehicles and pedestrians were properly monitored, everything has now become free wheeling and unmanageable. Crime particularly has dramatically increased since the opening of our gates. While many of these incidents have been reported by the enclave presidents and the residents themselves, many more go unreported because the victims fear retaliation.

Traffic within BF Homes has also exponentially increased especially during rush hours and thereby exacerbated the discharge of pollutants. Our residents have to queue up to get in and out of the subdivision. BF Has become now a main artery for traffic to and from Cavite/Las Piñas and Parañaque, Pasay, Makati and points north. Foot traffic has drastically increased and we no longer know the background and number of strangers roaming our neighborhoods.

We have asked - where are homeowners’ rights? Sadly, the answer is there are none left. We do not think this is what was intended when our roads were opened but that is the undeniable result. This is the reason why we are making this appeal so that your office can redress our situation. We believe our problems can be timely and substantially addressed if your office can truly begin to understand our situation and heed our appeal.

Since security is our greatest concern, we would like to request that you allow once more the manning of our gates on the Las Piñas side by our security guards in order that they can monitor/control vehicular and foot traffic. Hopefully, their presence will restore order at the gates and dissuade the entry of suspicious elements. So that it will not just ban an exercise in futility and end up as a significant expense, UBFHAI will ensure an effective identification system, i.e., the presentation of drivers’ licenses and/or the display of proper stickers. We believe this still the most equitable and rational system for BF Homes and the motoring public. Those who would like to use the facilities of BF Homes will leave their driver’s license or have a proper sticker. Those that do not want are not compelled to enter our gates. It is a normal and accepted process in all respectable subdivisions. If our Las Piñas gates are manned by our security guards, our Las Piñas residents will feel more secure without the city government having to make any additional expense.

We believe that with this request we can begin to improve the situation in BF Homes. It is the least you can do for our homeowners and residents, who have stood behind you in the last elections, and who have had faith in your leadership. We hope you will give serious consideration to this appeal. Thank you for your time.