‘Billboard suitor’ Xian Gaza admits to P2.6 million scam

MANILA, Philippines — Self-confessed scammer Christian Albert “Xian” Gaza surrendered to the Malabon City police yesterday after two Malabon courts ordered his arrest over a P2.6-million investment scam.

Gaza first became viral when he spent for a billboard in Morayta, Manila asking for a coffee date with actress Erich Gonzales, who declined.

Malabon Metropolitan Trial Court Branches 56 and 120 ordered his arrest for 19 counts of violation of the anti-bouncing checks law.

Gaza surfaced after two of his victims, Melinda Cruz and Jaime Asuncion, talked to radio station dzMM to spill the beans on Gaza’s investment schemes.

Cruz said she lent Gaza P4 million supposedly because Gaza’s business partner ended the contract with him for a coffee shop.

That business partner apparently was Asuncion, who complained that Gaza did not pay back his remaining balance of P600,000. Cruz said Gaza owed her at least P2 million.

The two described Gaza as a con artist who scammed Malabon residents of millions of pesos. He was also accused of running away from a shirt donation project for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda that did not materialize.

Gaza, who is active on social media for his travels, admitted to being a con artist and promised he would pay back his victims.

“In some way, naging scammer ako, naging fraud ako. I really hate the person I’ve become,” Gaza said in handcuffs.

He asked his social media followers to help him raise P160,000 to post bail, even though the court only fixed bail at P126,000 – P2,000 each for the eight counts filed by Asuncion, and P10,000 for each of the 11 counts filed by Cruz.