Actor, manager charged with estafa

Actor Jordan Herrera and his manager Moises Manio were charged yesterday with estafa and swindling at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office for failure to perform in a show in Tuguegarao last month despite having received a 50 percent downpayment in talent fee from the show’s producer.

Meanwhile, Doods Santiago, another of Herrera’s managers, told The STAR that Herrera did not show up for the Tuguegarao show because "there was no contract and that the actor did not receive any downpayment." Santiago was quoting a statement from Boboy Barril, another manager of Herrera, who negotiated the Tuguegarao show.

Jacqueline Abella, resident of Tuguegarao, Cagayan Valley and owner of L. Street Billiard Productions, filed the charges against Herrera and Manio of FAB3 Production Inc., claiming they defraud her by abuse of trust and confidence.

In her complaint, Abella claimed she entered an agreement with Manio’s production last Aug. 9 for the services of Herrera to perform at the People’s Gym in Tuguegarao City last Oct. 30 with the Sex Bomb dancers.

Abella said she agreed to pay the 50 percent downpayment to Manio for Herrera’s talent fee, which was also the producer’s advanced payment.

The complainant added that she also provided the actor with round-trip tickets to Tuguegarao City for the show.

However, Herrera failed to show up for the said event. Abella said she tried calling the actor on his cell phone several times but no one answered her calls. Abella also asked Manio to explain why Herrera didn’t not show up in Tuguegarao City for the show she produced.

The tickets which were returned to Abella amounted to P610,000.

"Due to the malicious intention of the respondents, I was damaged and prejudiced to their anomalous and scrupulous act amounting to P800,000," Abella said.

The complainant was surprised when she read in a tabloid an article accusing her production of having defrauded Herrera.

Abella denied the accusations in the article noting that she paid the corresponding amusement tax, rental of the gymnasium and a cash bond to the City Treasurer’s Office, with a total amount of P54,780.00.