Lawmaker supports Senate probe into jewelry scam

MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City Rep. Annie Rosa Susano – one of the richest members of the House of Representatives – is supporting the investigation initiated by Sen. Loren Legarda over the so-called jewelry scam, whose victims include her niece.

“I am one with Senator Legarda in her fight against the injustice being done by these criminals against their unsuspecting victims,” she said.

Susano’s niece, Doris Deborah Pilares Palispis, was among those allegedly victimized by the scam.

The administration lawmaker said she would also ask the House leadership, through Speaker Prospero Nograles, to “look into this illegal practice and take action to protect our citizens” when Congress resumes session in late July.

In a statement, Susano cited the need to amend the laws involving such cases that have been rendered obsolete, like the Pawnshop Regulation Act (PD 114) of 1973, Bouncing Checks Law (BP 22) in 1979 and the Anti-Fencing Law (PD 1612), also in 1979.

“These laws were enacted more than two decades ago. While these laws are currently in force, our evolving society requires that we update these laws to address our present concerns,” she said.

She said her niece had filed a complaint against Ma. Elena So Guisande, chief of staff of socialite-philanthropist Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas, and several other cohorts in connection with the jewelry scandal.

Legarda initiated the probe into a multimillion-peso jewelry scam supposedly being masterminded by Arenas’ staffers.

The probe focused on how pawnshops and financial agents have been engaging in nefarious activities and committing abuses in violation of current laws.

Three committees – banks and financial institutions and currencies and the committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws – are handling the legislative inquiry.

Legarda’s resolution came in light of the discovery of a “high-society” jewelry scam that has victimized several individuals, including a diplomat who claims to have lost some P15.8 million to the scheme.

Spouses Michael and Barbara Tolentino, Agnes Huibonhoa, honorary consul of Gambia, and Palispis have filed separate syndicated estafa and violation of Batas Pambansa Bilang 22 or the Bouncing Checks Law against Guisande before the Department of Justice and the San Juan Prosecutor’s Office.

Allegedly acting in cahoots with her husband Antonio Vicente, siblings John So, Maria Melitona Sanches, Joanne Villena, and some of her employees, Guisande allegedly manipulated her victims into letting her sell very expensive jewelry so she can earn commissions.

On April 1, 2009, the Tolentino couple filed charges before the DOJ, claiming to have lost some P10.6 million because of the scheme.

In their six-page affidavit, the couple said Guisande acted as one of their sales agents in the jewelry trade who was supposed to earn on a commission basis.

But in December 2008, they said they learned that their jewelry, which was supposed to be sold, was pawned or pledged.

They said the postdated checks given by Guisande were either issued with a stop-payment order or were worthless because the accounts were closed.

They said they also discovered that one of their other sales agents, Pamela Suanico, conspired with Guisande after the checks that the latter issued to her also started bouncing.

When confronted, Suanico allegedly confessed to the “fraudulent scheme,” of how she was giving the jewelry she was supposed to sell to Guisande, who in turn disposes of the jewelry by pawning them.

“As a result of the nefarious and unlawful conspiracy of the above-named persons, we were fraudulently injured, as we have lost several pieces of jewelry collectively valued to be in the amount of P10,673,876,” the couple said.

“It is clear from the foregoing that the illegal scheme of the above-named persons follow a certain pattern,” they added, referring to how Guisande and Suanico get jewelry from them and then gave the same to David So who would then dispose of the items by making four people – identified as Valerio Lebosana, Maricel Orgaya, Jose Sanchez, and Danilo Daygo – pawn them in different pawnshops

Huibonhoa, honorary consul of Gambia, on the other hand, said Guisande pawned the items she was supposed to sell for quick cash and again pawned the receipt for more money, which she used to pay off her principals or fund her postdated payment checks “to further induce us to continue transacting with her.”

According to the envoy, she accepted Guisande as a sales agent and delivered pieces of jewelry to her residence at Unit 407 La Maison Condominium, 115 Rada Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City from April to December 2008.

However, she said she discovered last January that Guisande was deceiving her after learning that some of the jewelry that she entrusted were pawned in three different pawnshops – the Rolly Estrella Pawnshop, the L. Raymundo Pawnshop Inc., and the F&T Taymundo Pawnshop Inc. – “without (her) knowledge and consent.”

Palispis, the other complainant, told the San Juan Prosecutor’s Office how she lost P7.3 million in the scheme.

But her complaint against Guisande and her alleged conspirator provides more details of what jewelry she and her agents were selling to high-class clients.

Eat Bulaga host in hot water

In a related development, television host and comedian Jose Manalo of “Eat Bulaga,” and his wife are now facing charges filed before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) by several jewelers on allegations of estafa and bouncing checks regarding multi-million transactions involving jewelry and real estate.

The NBI has started its investigation into the complaints filed by traders engaged in jewelry business identified as Violy Alipio, Roel Lumbang, Purificacion Nayve, Annie Dizon, Naneth Ugaddan, Susan Escosura, Aida Palpal-Latoc, Trinidad Romeo Egya and Elenita Pabalate.

The NBI-Background Investigation Division (BID) is set to invite for questioning Jose Manalo (Ariel Pagtalonia Manalo in real life) and his wife Anna Lyn Manalo to answer the complaints lodged against them.

The NBI-BID said the Manalos should be given a chance to file counter-affidavits or statements as part of the due process while they determine if there is a basis for the complaints.

The complainants said the transactions were done with Anna Lyn in separate occasions in years 2006, 2007 and 2008.

They also included Jose in their complaints because the signatories of some checks were both spouses.

The NBI started evaluating the complainant’s affidavits, as well as copies of checks, allegedly issued by the wife, as payments for jewelry and properties.

The checks, the complainants said, bounced after the bank accounts of the Manalos had allegedly closed.

Pabalate said in her affidavit that Anna Lyn went to her jewelry store sometime in October to November 2008 and purchased jewelry items worth P4,059,200 on consignment. She issued the postdated checks.

However, Pabalate said checks amounting to P332,300 bounced.

She said despite her repeated demands to pay or replace the checks, Anna Lyn failed to pay. – With Sandy Araneta