South Korean 鈥榟omeowners鈥� eye legal action over Camp John Hay evictions
John Hay Manor takeover taken on January 6 2025 —Vincent Cabreza.
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — South Koreans who were evicted from hotel residential units following the government’s takeover of Camp John Hay were exploring legal options to hold both the developer and administrator of the former American recreational base accountable for their predicament, their legal counsel said.
The 15 South Korean owners of long-term room leases at two John Hay hotels were among the 55 aggrieved homeowners who, in a letter on Jan. 27, asked President Marcos to intervene.
The homeowners had long term room-share leases with The Forest Lodge and The Manor, and residential communities such as Forest Estates, Country Homes, Golf Estates and Forest Cabins.
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According to the group, they informed Malacañang that they were perplexed by the notices to vacate served by a Baguio Regional Trial Court (RTC) in early January that locked them out of their homes and hotel rooms, after the state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) took over Camp John Hay from developer Camp John Hay Development Corporation (CJHDevco).
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The court was enforcing a 2015 arbitral ruling that resolved a 2012 contractual dispute between BCDA and CJHDevco, which was affirmed last year with finality by the Supreme Court. Under the arbitral ruling, BCDA regains control of all 247 hectares developed by CHJDevCo and for the state-run firm to return P1.4 billion in rental fees to the developer.
Article continues after this advertisementThe homeowners believed they were unjustly caught in the crossfire of this legal battle and have been “contemplating a lawsuit to recover their investments,” said lawyer Moises Fortunato, who represents the Korean investors, during a press briefing on Sunday.
“Until we get our day in court,” the Korean investors maintained that they were buyers in good faith and have the right to occupy their units until 2046, said Heewong Han Ahn, one of the homeowners, at the press conference.
Among those affected were Jangeon Lee, who provides college scholarships in the city, and Sungil Lee, who established a local charity.
Heewong said one of the Korean homeowners, 85-year-old Myumbang Lim, had chosen to retire in Baguio and had been living at Forest Lodge for 19 years, only to be told he was no longer welcome.
‘Shocked, dismayed’
The Koreans were “shocked and dismayed “when their water and other utilities were shut off “without prior notice,” despite clear evidence that people, including elderly residents, lived in these units, Heewong said.
“We do not understand how a government agency can use all its resources and power to evict us without due process,” he added.
According to Heewong, rather than addressing the concerns of John Hay homeowners, BCDA and CJHDevco have been focused on trading accusations.
Last week, Fortunato’s clients sought a temporary restraining order from a Baguio court to prevent BCDA from displacing them. It was one of two petitions filed by John Hay homeowners before Branches 6 and 79 of the Baguio RTC.
On Feb. 5, RTC Branch 79 dismissed Fortunato’s petition. That same day, BCDA announced it had signed new residential contracts with 40 sublessees but did not provide further details.
Fortunato noted that the Supreme Court may have “set a precedent” regarding the treatment of sub-lessors whose rights are negatively affected by an arbitration process in which they were not parties of interest.
“I hope the [SC] will review its impact in the future,” he said.
In a Feb. 11 statement, BCDA Chair Hilario Paredes acknowledged “the plight of those affected, as they were deprived of their hard-earned money through false promises of owning homes and making lucrative investments. However, blaming the government… [is] misdirected” as they should go after CHJDevCo instead.
