MANILA, Philippines - Jesus Is Lord Movement Church Worldwide founder and losing presidential candidate Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” Villanueva said yesterday he will appeal a recent decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) upholding his indictment for estafa.
In a statement sent to The STAR, the television evangelist expressed confidence the case against him would eventually be dismissed.
“Every reasonable person can only conclude that the estafa case was filed against Bro. Eddie by the previous administration for being in the opposition and for his lifelong advocacy for good governance,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva reiterated that the estafa case was a form of harassment by the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He said the complainant is a relative of Arroyo’s husband.
His lawyer, Lorna Kapunan, said Villanueva is innocent of the allegation. She stressed that the Zoe Broadcasting Network, where Bro. Eddie sits as its president and chairman, has been trying to collect more than P122 million allegedly owed by Benito Araneta of EnterNet Corp. after he used Channel 11 for more than a year.
In July 2001, Zoe Broadcasting Network entered into a contract with Araneta, a cousin who is very close to former first gentleman Mike Arroyo to improve the station to better cater to the growing Christian television media consumers.
“The candor, honesty and good faith that Bro. Eddie brought with him in the contract was returned with un-Christian deception and greed. The provisions in the contract were never implemented and worse, for more than a year, the management and income of the station were all pocketed by EnterNet owner,” Kapunan said.
Despite legal demands by Zoe for Araneta to honor the contract, he refused to do so. Because of EnterNet’s continued breach and non-compliance with the terms of the contract, Zoe Broadcasting Network no longer pursued the continuation of the contract, as it had ended in March 2002, but EnterNet continued to air its programs until July 2002.
Kapunan said Araneta falsely accused her client of entering a contract with him despite Zoe’s existing contract with another corporation, VTV Corp. She said at the time the contract was signed, Zoe’s contract with VTV had long been terminated.
The CA’s 17th Division dismissed the petition of Villanueva questioning a DOJ resolution that affirmed findings of probable cause by the Mandaluyong City prosecutor’s office on the estafa case filed against him by Araneta on Feb. 17, 2005.