3 top operators of investment scam in Lucena face complaints

LUCENA CITY—Some officials of South Luzon Multipurpose Cooperative-Grand Alliance of Business Leaders Association Inc. (SLMC-Gabai) here have come out in the open to file complaints against the “Top 3” operators of the discredited investment plan.

Supt. Allen Rae Co, Lucena police chief, said Roberta Rafa, account executive, and Arnel Guevarra and Jimwell Medrano, both employees, came to the police station separately last week and claimed innocence over the criminal charges filed against them.

The three also filed complaints against three top SLMC-Gabai leaders—Luzardo Lucido, Gabai chair and SLMC administrator; Gerald Murillo, account manager/marketing officer; and his wife Jenelle, cashier—for also duping them of their own personal investments.

“They all pointed to the Top 3 as the only ones who handle and have the final say on the millions of cash deposits,” Co said.

The three top scam leaders continue to remain in hiding.

Last week, Camille Bautista, sales officer, and Jennylyn Elbo, teller, also filed their complaints against SLMC-Gabai and said they were also duped of their investments.

One of the police investigators handling the case said the formal complaints filed by SLMC-Gabai employees against their superiors indicated only that no more money would be returned to the investors.

“The officials themselves believe that they can no longer reclaim their own deposits; that’s why they filed their complaints,” said the investigator, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The investigator said Lucido occasionally communicated with some officials by phone and had appealed against drastic actions.

“He also made a promise that everything will be back to normal because a foreign investor will infuse fresh funds. But no one believes in him,” the police said.

As of Monday, police had only 11 formal complainants against 14 SLMC-Gabai officials on charges of estafa and economic sabotage.

The investigator said there were only a few complainants because most scam victims didn’t want the public to know that they became victims.

“They want to save face,” he said.

Another investigator also disclosed that numerous victims were members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), the same religion of the three top SLMC-Gabai leaders.

An INC member said the sect had a policy that members should not file a criminal complaint against fellow members, as the INC leadership has a process to resolve the conflict outside the court.