Malabon exec says scam done by 'private' syndicate

MANILA, Philippines - Malabon City administrator Benjamin Villacorta, one of seven persons accused of convincing a businesswoman to invest P16.5 million in a non-existent city government project, said the scam was the work of a “private” syndicate and does not involve city government workers.

“This fraud appears to be the work of a purely private syndicate,” Villacorta said in a seven-page counter-affidavit in an estafa case filed by trader Myrna Ojeda Tan on Sept. 5 before the Valenzuela City prosecutor’s office.

 The STAR obtained a copy of Villacorta’s affidavit, dated Sept. 22.

He said Tan only based her charges against him on the claims of her lawyer, Christopher Tiu, implicating him in the case.

Tan accused Villacorta, Marlon Marquina, Rafael Jose, Anabelle Caparas, and Evangeline Arenga, who she claimed to be employees of the Malabon City government, of allegedly conspiring with Sebastiana Dadia and Consolita Tutanes to defraud her a total of P16.5 million.

Tan said Tiu and Michael Buquid, through Marquina, met with Villacorta at the city hall in the first week of June to discuss the project to supply medical equipment to the Malabon City government amounting to P49.9 million.

On July 20, Buquid was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen. A few days later, Tan found out that Villacorta denied such a project existed. Tan then filed estafa charges against Villacorta and the six others.

Tan also filed a court petition to recover P8.5 million from the estate of Buquid, owner of drug company 20th Pharma Trade in Mandaluyong City. She said she had given Buquid the money as initial funding for the project.

Police linked Buquid’s death to the scam and said the National Bureau of Investigation is now handling the case.

Villacorta blamed Tan’s lawyer for failing to protect the interest of his client. He said the documents of the alleged project are “obvious forgeries.” He advised Tan to follow the “money trail,” claiming none of the P16.5 million “went to me.”

On Sept. 12, Tan filed an administrative case against Villacorta, Marquina, Jose, Caparas, and Arenga before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Villacorta said Marquina has not been connected with the city hall since 2010, and he does not know the other respondents.