CA metes longer prison term on Baladjay

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) imposed a longer prison term for “pyramid scam queen” Rosario Baladjay, who was convicted by the Makati regional trial court for two counts of estafa.

The CA’s Eighth Division, in a decision released yesterday, increased the jail term the Makati court imposed on Baladjay from eight to 12 years to 10 to 20 years for each count of estafa.

The decision was penned by Associate Justice Agnes Carpio-Morales. Associate Justices Rosalinda Asuncion-Vicente and Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla concurred.

Baladjay was the president and chairman of the board of Multinational Telecommunications Investors Corp. (Multitel).

The CA also ordered Baladjay to pay each of the complainants P20,000 as moral damages and P15,000 as exemplary damages. In one of the cases, complainant Rosine Abel claimed she invested P6 million in Multitel, while in the second case, the complainants were identified as Helen Padua, Corazon Mariano and Maribel Lorbes.

Baladjay, in appealing her conviction, said the complainants failed to present proof that she  made fraudulent representations in order to lure people to invest their money in Multitel.

The CA said a review of the records of the case showed Baladjay defrauded complainants of their money, directly and indirectly.

Baladjay also said that her connection with Multitel does not immediately make her liable for the company’s liabilities.

The CA justices said while they agree with Baladjay that Multitel has “a personality separate and distinct from its officers, directors and stockholders. However, this is not an ironclad rule... In fine, we are convinced that accused-appellant is guilty of the two counts of estafa.”