Danrick Cruz, pageant production director, holds his affidavit when he appears before the DOJ to support the estafa complaint against Peter Joemel Advincula, alias “Bikoy.” INQUIRER.net photo / Neil Arwin Mercado
MANILA, Philippines — A pageant production director who earlier linked Peter Joemel Advincula, alias “Bikoy,” in an estafa case, on Tuesday filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) a witness affidavit supporting a complaint.
Danrick Cruz, production director, supported the complaint filed by businessman Arven Valmores, president and CEO of Ardeur World Marketing, for using the name of their company in organizing a pageant in Polangui, Albay on Aug. 11, 2018.
The complaint states that Advincula did not show up at the pageant and did not pay the hired production director and several staff, as well as the prizes for the winners.
READ: ‘Bikoy’ faces another estafa complaint at DOJ for botched beauty pageant
“Ire-represent ko po ang mga candidates, staff, and lahat po ng mga nai-scam po ni Peter Advincula last August 11, 2018, doon po sa Albay,” Cruz told reporters at the DOJ.
“Marami po kami, siguro po almost 50, from candidates to staff, organizers, from sound system, pati po production staff hindi po kami nabayaran,” Cruz added.
Cruz said he only met Advincula through a recommendation of a friend.
“Kinuha ako as production director ng pageant sa municipality namin,” Cruz said.
According to the affidavit filed by Cruz, Advincula was in charge of sponsorship solicitation and other finance-related matters such as the sale of products and promotional materials as a requirement for the candidates of the pageant.
Cruz also confirmed that Advincula did not show up during the coronation night, adding that the latter had vacated his office in Ligao City in Albay upon checking.
“We later found out that complainant corporation (Ardeur World Marketing) was illegally represented by Mr. Advincula,” Cruz noted in the affidavit.
In a move to save the reputation of his company, Valmores, meanwhile, was forced to shell out P300,000.
“I am executing this affidavit to attest to the truth of all the foregoing declarations and to support the complaint of estafa against Peter Joemel Advincula,” the affidavit read.
Advincula on Tuesday failed to show up at the preliminary investigation at the DOJ, making this his second absence from the proceeding. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)
READ: DOJ summons ‘Bikoy’ over botched beauty pageant case