Metrowalk embezzlement suspects face more raps

Lawyers of the Metrowalk leisure complex in Pasig City vowed yesterday to file additional criminal and civil cases against a couple who allegedly embezzled P170 million from the company’s earnings.

Bonifacio Alentajan, representing the Optimus Property Holdings, the operator of Metrowalk, claimed they are now in the final stage of their ongoing audit of the company’s financial conditions, particularly its revenues derived from lease payments from hundreds of locators inside the 18-hectare Ortigas commercial complex.

Alentajan said they would file appropriate charges against Chito Manalac and his wife, Ma. Theresa, once their audit is over and the evidence against them is complete.

Company officials and their lawyers identified Chito as the “mastermind” in the embezzlement of the company’s funds.

Chito has gone into hiding following the April 24 arrest of his wife based on an arrest warrant by the Pasig regional trial court for qualified theft.

 “The sad fact about it is that Chito (Manalac) can not even visit his wife, (Theresa) who’s been languishing in jail. He chose to hide than face the consequences of their acts,” Alentajan said.

Chito did not return The Star’s repeated calls yesterday. In an earlier interview, he claimed he did not do anything wrong and would answer allegations against him in court.

According to Alentajan, the couple will face multiple qualified theft charges after they allegedly amassed P170 million, not just P7.3 million, from the company.

Alentajan alleged that the Manalacs did not remit their collections of the monthly rentals of the Metrowalk Facility from the tenants.

The lawyer said two years ago, Chito founded Optimus Property Holdings, which currently runs Metrowalk’s operations. He then appointed himself as the collector of the company without due notice to the other company officials. The tenants regularly pay their monthly dues to the company, but Chito allegedly did not remit the collections.

If the tenants pay by check, Ma. Theresa – as the company’s treasurer – would deposit the check and withdraw the money after it was cleared. The trouble started after other company officials noticed that there was no income coming in from the Metrowalk facility.

An investigation was conducted and the tenants said they have been religiously paying their rentals to Chito. This sparked a meeting involving all company officials, who removed Ma. Theresa from her post on Feb. 4.

Getting wind of her removal, Ma. Theresa allegedly withdrew P7.3 million. On the same day, the firm started an audit and reportedly discovered that P170 million of the proceeds from renting out the Metrowalk facility had been diverted by the Mañalacs into their personal accounts.