Fiscal junks 11 estafa raps vs school

TAGBILARAN CITY , Philippines   â€” The City Prosecutor's Office has exonerated a school in this city and junked 11 estafa complaints filed against the institution's administrators, for lack of probable cause.

City Assistant Prosecutor Fara Ricarda Matuod in a resolution said the estafa charges lodged by 11 teachers of the GreatMinds Leadership Academy (GLA), which offers pre-school and elementary education in Tagbilaran City, could not merit a full-blown trial as it lacked sufficient basis, adding that it cannot be proven that the respondent had misused funds intended for payment of  Social Security System (SSS) contributions.

"It is not established in this case that the respondents actually misappropriated or converted the amount involved," Matuod said.

In November last year, 11 GLA teachers alleged that their pension payments were not remitted to the SSS prompting them to file estafa charges against GLA, naming Corazon Heraldine Ramirez, Jimabil Magallano, and Maria Lona Iway, school administrators, as respondents.

But SSS-Tagbilaran Branch, in a certification, cleared the GLA administrators, represented by lawyer Lord Marapao IV, of any wrongdoing and explained that the delayed updating of SSS payments was caused by the agency's online system upgrade. SSS further said that some GLA teachers lacked requirements necessary for their official registration with the agency.

According to the GLA administration, the school management has always been transparent in all its dealings with the teachers. "Receipts and reports duly received by SSS were posted on the faculty and staff announcement board," the school said in a statement.

"What confused the GLA administration is that, despite its transparency, as seen on its public announcements in school bulletin boards, the complainants still pursued the case without first passing diplomatic means to resolve the issue," the school said.

The case, which became a highly publicized issue in Bohol print media, stunned hundreds of parents whose kids are enrolled at GLA, after the complainants demanded payment for damages by as much as P75,000 for each of them.

The complainants were identified as Mary Jane Cabridas, Agera Gian Geangan, Donna Serino, Riza Marie Aguipo, Noveliza Requilmen and Elaine Ihalas. All are still working as teachers at GLA.

Other complainants were Delia Arcader, Leedy Mae Doydora, Marilou Logrosa and Marites Mozo — all had breached their contracts for School Year 2013-2014. Another complainant was Rowena Rose Ingking, whose contract ended in March 2013, and was no longer renewed.

The complainants had filed a motion for reconsideration but the same was junked by the fiscal's office on January 21, 2014, for lack of probable cause.  (FREEMAN)