Rodriguez grills gov’t prosecutor over Aman Futures scam

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A lawmaker on Wednesday grilled a representative of the justice department’s special panel of prosecutors for the complaints on the P12-billion investment scam of the Aman Futures group.

Senior assistant state prosecutor Edna Valenzuela, chairperson of the DOJ’s special panel of prosecutors to the case, was put on the spot during a hearing with the House committee on banks and intermediaries for the slow pace her committee had in resolving the 27 complaints they received against those responsible for the pyramiding scam.

Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez said the cases that were filed by the National Bureau of Investigation to the prosecutor’s office in Pagadian back in October should have prompted the DOJ to act immediately.

Valenzuela told the panel that the 27 complaints against several persons including Pagadian City Mayor Samuel Co were still under evaluation and that they were in the process of sending subpoenas to the respondents.

“This involves officials and the police, it has been two months already, you are sleeping on the job!” Rodriguez told the state prosecutor.

He urged the panel to speed up the proceedings and ensure that those responsible for duping some 15,000 persons are arrested.