Ex-Supreme Court justice's son, 10 others face P38-million theft raps

MANILA, Philippines - A son of retired Supreme Court Justice Emilio Gancayco and 10 other officials of a US-based clothing firm are facing charges of theft and malicious mischief in connection with P38 million worth of missing garments and equipment seized by police last year.

Charged in a five-page complaint filed before a Parañaque court were Pablo Gancayco, attorney-in-fact of Forever 21 Inc.; Wilfred Neis II, a private investigator he employed; Forever 21 Inc. officers Do Chang, president; Jin Chang, secretary; Eric Weiss, incorporator; and Lawrence Meyer, chief financial officer.

Also named respondents were Carepak Moving & Storage Inc. officers Marsha Hilker, Henrietta Santos, Stanley Hilker, Teodoro Regala, and Salvador Pena. 

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Romeo Chong, owner of Forever 21 branches in various malls in Metro Manila, who said he lost thousands of clothes and equipment after police raided his stores based on a complaint by Gancayco.

Gancayco represents the US-based firm Forever 21, while Chong has carried the brand locally for eight years before Gancayco’s client initiated a claim for the right to use the brand in the Philippines.

Chong’s goods were seized by police and brought to a warehouse owned by Carepak in Sucat, Parañaque City.

A lower court dismissed Gancayco’s claim for lack of merit and ordered the seized items returned to Chong last Feb. 17.

However, an inventory showed that of 38,898 items seized by police, only 24,032 items were retrieved and returned by the court sheriff, according to Chong.

Chong said “most, if not all” of the retrieved items “were completely damaged” because Carepak’s warehouse “was not well-maintained.”

He added that six of seven cash registers valued at P200,000 each seized during the raid were also missing.