Yearender: NBI probes explosive scams, catches killers in 2007

This year, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) exposed pyramiding investment schemes by at least two international syndicates that have allegedly been operating in the country.

NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said pyramiding syndicates have evolved with the times.

“Before, pyramiding syndicates did their recruitment only through people, but with these new schemes they can look for downlines through the Internet. In the past, their business is usually in pesos but nowadays they talk of dollars,” he said.

Last July 4, the agency’s National Capital Region (NCR) office, then under Regional Director Ruel Lasala, apprehended Eleazard Castillo, who is reportedly the chief financial adviser of FrancSwiss Investment.

This group does not have an office in the country and its members do their transactions through the Internet, according to the NBI. Under the scheme, victims were promised a daily interest of 4.5 percent for a minimum investment of $1,000. They were also promised a 10 percent commission for every potential investor they recruit.

Among FrancSwiss’ alleged victims were showbiz personalities, overseas workers, and military and police officials. The investment syndicate duped its investors of more than P3 million.

Based on complaints filed by at least 41 victims, the NBI filed syndicated estafa charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against 27 FrancSwiss officers and recruiter-investors.

Recommended for filing were six other names taken from the FrancSwiss “virtual office” website such as Michael Mansfield, chief financial officer; Kurt Sandelman, risk management team leader; Rupert Benedict Da Vinco, investment team leader; Julia Rodriguez, international banking team leader; Hector Willem Sidberg, marketing and international affairs; and Fernando Munoz, customer service leader.

Also named respondents in the case were those connected to the FrancSwiss Asia Pacific Region (APR) office such as Roger Smith, chief operation officer; Bensy Fong, system operation officer; Raymond Chua, marketing officer; and two secretaries who also act as collectors, identified only as Mike and Michelle.

The Filipinos who are alleged FrancSwiss uplines are Castillo, Angelina Angeles, Jose Narciso Terrado III, Reynante Lascona, Mike Eugenio, Emar Ricalde, Enrique Ballano, Imelda Pateneo, Hector Balaan, Francis Garcia, Arvin Legaspi, Russel Climaco, Liza Peril, Edwin Cendana, Terry de Guzman, and Rozmarieweng Sanchez, who uses the alias Rowena Gabriel.

One loose thread

This disclosure led to the discovery of another bogus investment scam. The Performance Investment Products Corp. (PIPC) is reportedly engaged in a similar modus operandi.

On Aug. 17, the NBI filed syndicated estafa charges against 32 officers and employees of the PIPC and PIPC Corp. (PIPC Corp.) before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Named in the charge sheet were the 10 officers, incorporators and directors of PIPC and PIPC Corp. and 22 of its employees. On top of the list of respondents are Singaporean nationals Michael H.K. Liew, PIPC owner and PIPC Corp. chairman of the board and president; and Chua Pwey Chan, alias Albert Chua, part owner of PIPC.

Other respondents are PIPC Corp. officials Cristina Tuason, the company’s general manager and treasurer; Ma. Cristina Jurado and Manuel Gonzales, corporate secretaries; and incorporators Ernest Sy, Gabriel Dee, Mario Lorenzo, Jonas-Karl Perez, and Peter Donnely Barot.

Also included were employees Anthony Kierulf, Herley Jesuitas, Oudine Santos, Mike Floro, Jimbo Aragon, Egay Flores, Janice Silvestre, Maricar Gonzales, Cristine Yu, Stanley Chua-Unsu, Maria Pamela Morris, Barbara Garcia, Nicoline Amoranto, Micko Nubla, Eugene Go, Evan Santos, Jay Tengco, Mia Legarda, Mayenne Carmona, VJ Vergel de Dios, David Chua-Unsu, and Jonathan Ocampo.

After almost a month-long investigation, the bureau filed the case against the respondents based on complaints made by 21 PIPC investors who were duped of an accumulated investment of $1.5 million (approximately P75 million). He clarified that more charges could be filed since they are still accepting complaints.

Mantaring believes that there are still other FrancSwiss and PIPC victims out there who are hesitant to come out in public. “They are also afraid that if they are identified in the modus operandi, the downlines would run after them,” he said.

Catching killers, extortionists

The office of the NBI Deputy Director for Regional Operations Service (DDROS), under Reynaldo Esmeralda, also did its share in solving some of the cases of extrajudicial killings.

On June 19, the NBI’s Cagayan Valley Regional Office (CAVRO) in Tuguegarao City captured Joel Melod, a member of the Mignao tribe, the primary suspect in the assassination of Kalinga Vice Governor Rommel Diasen. It was reportedly a case of a “tribal war” wherein Melod only wanted to avenge the death of his uncle, Judge Milnar Lammawin.

The NBI’s Puerto Princesa District Office (PUERDO) in Palawan province, on the other hand, arrested Police Officer 1 Alfredo Carandang, the close-in security of mayoralty candidate and retired police general Eduardo Matillano. 

Carandang allegedly killed Commission on Elections (Comelec) Election Assistant 2 Petronillo Amorin last April 3. Murder charges were lodged against Carandang before the Puerto Princesa Prosecutor’s Office.

Last February, its Eastern Visayas Regional Office (EVRO) arrested Arthur Ponay, the alleged gunman in the murder of Mayor Benito Astorga of Daram, Samar.

The NBI Central Eastern Visayas Regional Office (CEVRO) based in Cebu City executed an entrapment operation that led to the capture of Senior Police Officer 1 Jaime Otadoy. He, along with PO3 Rey Albotra and PO1 Raneil Capangpangan, allegedly attempted to extort P2 million from Ruel Lerio, whom the erring suspects reportedly arrested on trumped-up drug charges.

However, during the operation, Capangpangan was able to elude arrest while Albotra was not around.

NBI CEVRO personnel were also responsible for the apprehension of Manuel Advincula, a Comelec election supervisor in Dumaguete City, who was reported to have demanded P300,000 from Henry Pryde Teves in return for giving a favorable decision on a disqualification case.

Advincula was charged with direct bribery.