2 police execs relieved over investment scam

MANILA, Philippines - Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas on Thursday relieved two ranking police officials in Zamboanga del Sur in connection with the Aman Futures investment scam that victimized thousands in the province and parts of Mindanao.

Roxas ordered the relief of police provincial director Senior Supt. William Manzan and Pagadian City chief of police Supt. Kenneth Mission to avoid chances of whitewash in the ongoing police investigation into the latest “get-rich-quick” scheme that has reportedly duped some 15,000 individuals into investing about P12 billion.

He added that Manzan and Mission were suspended for their supposed negligence in stopping Aman Futures early on in their operations.

“This scam has been perpetrated beginning as early as February this year and there have been very loud indicators that this scam was happening. People were lining up as early as 2 in the morning to try to get in the premises of Aman,” Roxas said.

“The fact that there was no report that filtered up from the City PNP to the province to the region all the way to headquarters indicates, at the very least, negligence or laziness,” Roxas added.

He said apart from Manzan and Mission, 21 other police officers who reportedly invested in Aman were recalled back to camp.

He said this is to ensure that they do not use their authority to exact revenge against Aman Futures and its representatives.

Roxas also said his department has requested treasurers of local government units in Lanao del Sur and Zamboanga del Sur to submit their respective local government unit bank balances for examination. This is to verify reports that public funds may have been used to invest in Aman.

Authorities are now conducting a manhunt for the officials of Aman, including its president, Manuel Amalilio and Fernando “Nonoy”  Luna, head of the Aman operations in Pagadian City.

Aman Futures was able to lure investors, mostly in Pagadian City, by offering a 30-percent to 40-percent return on investment within eight days, and a 50-percent to 80-percent profit for 18 to 20 days.

Aman Futures claimed that the profit would come from a customer agreement with Malaysian brokerage firm Okachi (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. that in turn engages in futures trading of commodities such as oil, manganese, palm oil and nickel.

At first, the victims could receive cash by just showing their official receipts.

But later, investors were issued post-dated checks with a 50-day maturity date in lieu of cash. Investors started to panic when the Aman office in Pagadian closed last Sept. 26.