CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — With village elections just weeks away, homeowners in Morning Mist Village have launched a signature campaign opposing what they describe as an attempt by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD)-10 to replace their elected officers with an interim board.
The campaign comes after DHSUD Regional Director Paris Raymond S. Gaballo directed the homeowners association to hold an emergency general assembly on July 23 to select an interim board.
According to the Morning Mist Village Homeowners Association Inc. (MMVHOA) President Arthur P. Aranas "Nag house to house mi ug campaign for signatures. From 3pm Saturday to 9pm Sunday only. And we got around 192 signatures of support in the short period of time nga community campaign."
Association leaders argue that the move is unnecessary because regular elections are already scheduled for Aug. 22, 2026.
As of this week, the petition had gathered 197 signatures, including 122 from printed forms and 75 through an online campaign.
Aranas said the current board still has a valid mandate based on a 2022 referendum in which homeowners voted, 68-18, to extend the term of future boards to two years.
Under that arrangement, the current board, elected on Aug. 17, 2024, is set to serve until August 2026.
"We are not clinging to power. We have already announced our regular elections for Aug. 22, 2026," Aranas said.
The association said DHSUD did not question its reported two-year term for nearly two years before issuing the directive.
In its position paper, the homeowners association argued that the agency's order violates provisions of the Magna Carta for Homeowners, the 2021 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations, the Anti-Red Tape Act, and the Civil Code.
Among its arguments, the group said only the incumbent board has the authority to call association elections and that DHSUD cannot impose an interim board while a functioning administration remains in office.
The homeowners are asking DHSUD to cancel the July 23 emergency assembly, recognize the community's 2022 referendum approving two-year board terms, and allow the scheduled Aug. 22 elections to proceed without interference.
"Free and honest elections are superior to imposed leadership," Aranas said, adding that the agency's authority to appoint interim boards should apply only when an association has no functioning leadership.
The dispute centers on whether the current board's term has already expired or remains valid under the homeowners' approved two-year term policy, an issue that could determine who leads one of Cagayan de Oro's residential communities in the coming months. This neighborhood-level resistance reflects a growing trend of civic pushback across Northern Mindanao, similar to how Uptown homeowners oppose 'Towers of Darkness' high-rise developments to protect their property rights and community welfare. (Dave Achondo, Editorial Associate)
