Chris Brown barred from leaving Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - American pop singer Chris Brown and his promoter John Michael Pio Roda were barred from leaving the country yesterday as they were placed under the immigration lookout bulletin, following the former’s solo concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Tuesday night.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima issued on Tuesday the lookout bulletin order after receiving a letter from Maligaya Development Corp. (MDC), which was set to file charges of estafa against Brown and Pio Roda.

MDC chief operating officer Glicerio Santos IV, who is also the chief legal counsel of religious group Iglesia ni Cristo, said they are seeking the prosecution of the two over Brown’s failure to fulfill his earlier commitment to perform at the Philippine Arena for the INC’s New Year countdown celebration on Dec. 31, 2014.

In a two-page letter, Santos requested assistance from the DOJ “for the successful prosecution of the criminal complaint which MDC is lodging against Mr. John Michael Pio Roda and Mr. Christopher Maurice Brown aka Chris Brown for the crime of estafa.”

“Mr. Pio Roda’s services were obtained by MDC to bring into the country Mr. Brown, and have him perform at the said concert. After making representations that Mr. Brown would perform thereat, and after having fully paid for both their services, Mr. Brown failed to appear and perform at the concert, to the damage and prejudice of MDC,” Santos said.

MDC is the overall administration and management entity of Ciudad de Victoria in Bulacan where INC’s Philippine Arena is located.

Brown’s plane, a Gulfstream G450, was reportedly set to leave at 1 p.m. yesterday from a private hangar near Terminal 4 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for a concert in Hong Kong.

But the 26-year-old R&B singer was advised by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to secure clearance first from the DOJ.

In a text message to The STAR, CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said the BI has requested the agency not to issue a clearance for takeoff of Brown’s private jet.

Apolonio said a clearance could not be issued until the requirements for the lifting of the lookout order are complied with. – With Louella Desiderio