Legacy boss faces 10 counts of estafa

MANILA, Philippines - Sto. Domingo, Albay Mayor Celso de los Angeles Jr. and three other officers of Legacy Consolidated Plan Inc. (LCPI) will be charged with 10 counts of estafa before the Manila Regional Trial Court on Monday.

The Department of Justice downgraded the case against them from syndicated estafa, a non-bailable offense, to estafa, a bailable offense.

Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said the case was lowered to estafa because the crime of syndicated estafa requires a conspiracy involving at least five people.

In estafa, only four people have taken part in the offense, she added.

Devanadera approved yesterday the finding of probable cause to indict De los Angeles, lawyer Christine Antenor Cruz-Limpin and Edgardo Marasigan for violating Art. 315 of the Revised Penal Code.

“It has been shown how respondent De los Angeles managed to siphon the resources of the Legacy group through the withdrawal of company funds intended for his personal benefit,” read the DOJ resolution.

Devanadera said prosecutors established during preliminary investigation the existence of a scheme where the group solicited

investments from the six plan holders totaling P705,101 without delivering to them the proceeds.

Limpin and Marasigan were also part of the scheme to dupe complainants of their investments through her position as senior vice president for legal and corporate secretary of LCPI, according to the DOJ.

The DOJ dismissed the case against De los Angeles’s wife Ma. Concepcion, son Martin Nicolo, brother Victorino and mother Purita for insufficiency of evidence.

Also cleared were Legacy officers Madeline Cobarrubias, Norman Tiongson, Ladho Chugani, Ricardo Solomon Jr., Acratomy Guarin, Elvira

Garcia, Cecille Invencion, Bishop Ignacio Soliba, Monina Vierneza-Dio, Elvira Nebre, Teresita Tica, Josefina Castaneda and Agnes

Santiago.

The case was filed by Sen. Manuel Roxas II and six Legacy plan holders: Lolita Duria, Arlene Basco, Jovita Calleja, Corazon Villon, Aurora Soriano and Antonio Evangelista.

The plan holders accused De los Angeles and the three Legacy officers of enticing them to invest in the pre-need companies after

offering them “wide selection and attractive” pre-need packages.

The money was deposited in various banks and De los Angeles and his co-accused shiphoned off the funds for their own personal gain, Roxas said.