MANILA, Philippines–A third syndicated estafa complaint was filed against Pagadian City Mayor
Pagadian City Mayor Samuel S. Co claimed of having P5 million investment to Aman Futures’ double-your- money investment scam but denied using Internal Revenue Allotment from the city as investment capital. Richel V.Umel/Inquirer Mindanao
and for the first time his city treasurer and employee for their alleged involvement in the P12-billion investment scam perpetrated by Aman Futures Group Philippines Inc.
Also charged in the latest string of complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation against those involved in the massive investment scam was a policeman who served as bodyguard of Aman Futures manager Fernando Luna.
These was contained in the three complaints that the NBI filed before the Department of Justice on Nov.26 and Nov.29 and Dec.3 where the complainants accused Aman executives and Co for duping them of about P53 million of their hard-earned money.
Meanwhile, the special panel tasked to prosecute the syndicated estafa cases against Aman executives has postponed its preliminary hearing Wednesday in Pagadian City because of bad weather caused by Typhoon “Pablo,” according to Prosecutor General Claro Arellano.
Arellano said that the special panel will proceed though with its Dec. 7 hearing in Cagayan de Oro City, this time on the investment scam perpetrated by the Rasuman group.
The DOJ had created the panels to step up the prosecution of people involved in recent investment scams in the country.
The latest complaint against Co, who was charged along with nine others, had as its complainant, a certain Zaalic U. Adiong, who claimed she was defrauded of her P3.2 million investment.
In the Dec. 3 complaint, the NBI said that Adiong claimed it was Pagadian City Treasurer Flornina Gerona who represented Co in accepting her investment for Aman. The receipts of Adiong’s investment was issued by Haide Sepada, an employee of the mayor who was posted in his home in Tiguma, Pagadian City.
“Further, when Aman collapsed, Mayor Samuel Co tried to amicably settle the complainant which even made the claim of the complainant stronger that Mayor Co was indeed involved in the operation of Aman,” said the NBI complaint written by NBI Director Nonato Rojas who addressed it to PG Arellano.
Aside from Co, Gerona and Sepada, the NBI also recommended for prosecution Luna and other Aman executives–Manuel Amalilio, the top man of Aman who has fled to Malaysia; and five members of Aman’s board of directors–Leila Lim Gann, Eduard Lim, William Fuentes, Gazelle Rodriguez and Lurid Lopez.
These seven Aman executives were also recommended for prosecution by the NBI in two other complaints.
The Nov. 26 complaint covered Amalilio, Fuentes, Rodriguez, Lopez, Luna and Gann and four others–Theresa Gabbing (Amalilio’s secretary responsible for receiving the original deposit slip from investors in Ozamiz City; Geronimo Villanueva, boyfriend of Rodriguez whose account name was where some of the Aman investments were deposited; Domingo Balilo, who is in charge of receiving deposit slips and issuing reinvestment slips to investors in Ozamiz City and a certain Joy, who is Rodriguez’s cousin and who took over from Gabbing.
Five complainants held the 10 respondents for duping them of their investments totaling P49,189,112.
Meanwhile, the Nov. 29 complaint was filed against 17 persons, including the previously charged Aman executives and other employees, after nine complainants said they were duped of P9.17 million in investments.
The 17 included Luna’s bodyguard–P03 Rey Chang–who would escort an Aman agent, Dhurwin Wenceslao, “every time the latter would deposit the money of investors to the bank.”
The NBI complaint said Chang also followed Luna in Dapitan City after the Aman manager left Pagadian City. Likewise, Chang was alleged to have accepted and facilitated the investment of some investors.