Plaint filed against secretary linked to ‘secret annulment’ scam

THE National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) filed on Wednesday a complaint against a secretary of a law firm for purportedly making a bogus court order of annulment.

Joahanna Lariosa Padua of barangay San Isidro in Talisay City was found to be behind the “secret annulment” scam that allowed couples to secure annulment documents without having to undergo the court’s scrutiny.

NBI-7 supervising agent Rennan Augutus Oliva found sufficient evidence to file four counts of falsification of public documents against Padua before the Talisay City Prosecutors’ Office.

The issue stemmed from the complaint filed by Regional Trial Court Judge Ester Veloso of Branch 6, clerk of court Christine Doller-Poligrates and lawyer Rowell Juban—whose signatures were allegedly counterfeited by Padua.

In her affidavit, Veloso said a certain Cheryl Valle showed to her a copy of a decision for declaration of nullity of marriage that she purportedly issued.

“I was shocked upon perusing the decision as the signature appearing above my printed name was not mine and I was not at all familiar with the name, facts and dispositions stated therein,” the judge said.

Veloso said the docket number of the decision has the same number with a case pending before her.

However, the case pertains to a different case for support, not nullity of marriage.

Valle informed the judge that she paid the respondent P60,000 to expedite the resolution of her case.

In December 2010, Valle said an employee introduced her to Padua who was working at the law office of lawyer Crispulo Abayon in Talisay City.

Valle said she later met Padua who promised to process her annulment within two months for P60,000.

Valle said Padua even asked a down payment of P15,000 to begin the “secret annulment.”

She said she was made to sign a civil case titled “Cheryl Seraspe Valle vs. Peter Anthony Sioco Barrientos.”

An official receipt, acknowledging the payment, was given by Padua to Valle.

The receipt has the name of lawyer Juban, one of the complainants.

On March 25, 2011, Valle, who was in Holland that time, sent someone to pay the remaining balance to Padua who gave her the decision of her annulment and a Certificate of Finality, which was purporteldy signed by clerk of court Poligrates.

A document from the National Statistics Office on Valle’s annulment was also faked.

NBI-7 supervising agent Oliva found out that the signature on the court decision didn’t belong to Judge Veloso. Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol