Networking execs face estafa raps

SAN PEDRO CITY—The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended the filing of estafa charges against the top two executives of One Dream Global Marketing Inc., who allegedly duped investors into shelling out P3-billion worth of investments through networking.

In a 10-page joint resolution, state prosecutors recommended the filing of simple estafa against Arnel Gacer, One Dream president and chief executive officer, and his partner Jobelle de Guzman Gacer, company vice president.

The complaints filed against Marlon de Guzman, the company’s account manager, and Michael Bagasbas were dismissed for insufficiency of evidence, the DOJ said.

The resolution, dated April 22, was received by the parties involved only last week. It was signed by state prosecutors Claro Arellano, Susan Villanueva and Mary Ann Parong.

It also downgraded the case from the non-bailable syndicated estafa, as filed by the complainants, to simple estafa.

It said the number of respondents in the One Dream case fell short of the required five or six.

In their counter-affidavits, De Guzman said the investors were not deceived as some were able to collect interests.

Bagasbas, on the other hand, said he was only “mistakenly identified” as a company employee but he, too, was an investor recruited by Arnel Gacer.

The company, with an office in Lipa City, allegedly duped thousands of investors in Batangas and Pangasinan provinces by promising them a 10-percent daily return or a 300-percent monthly profit.

The DOJ based its resolution on receipts submitted to prosecutors, showing the payment of P142,604 by investors Leobert Dolloso, Albert Canlapan and Imelda Abadiez from July 7 to July 9, 2015.

But on July 11, 2015, the company failed to release the supposed “payouts” to the investors. The company also stopped operation.