MANILA, Philippines—Legacy group founder Celso de los Angeles was transferred on Thursday to a jail compound in Ormoc City to face the nonbailable charge of syndicated estafa (fraud) filed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
De los Angeles was turned over to the custody of the jail warden Thursday morning after being held in Camp Karingal in Quezon City, said Elmar Galacios, a partner at law firm CVC Law and counsel for the BSP on the suits against the former banker.
His transfer was in accordance with the commitment order dated Aug. 6 and signed by Judge Clinton Nuevo of the Regional Trial Court Branch 12 in Ormoc City.
The case pertains to the P487-million syndicated estafa case filed by the BSP against De los Angeles and other officials of First Interstate Bank (formerly known as the Rural Bank of Kananga) in Ormoc City. The bank was under the Legacy Group.
This is among the many charges the businessman is facing in relation to the multibillion-peso debacle involving the Legacy chain of rural banks and preneed firms.
Unscrupulous practices
The BSP has shut down the rural banks believed to be part of the Legacy Group from December 2008 to early 2009 for allegedly engaging in unscrupulous banking practices.
Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. placed at over P12 billion the total amount of deposits of the Legacy-owned rural banks so far validated.
De los Angeles was arrested at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City early this month based on a warrant issued by Nuevo that was served by the Quezon City police.
Throat cancer
Before his arrest, De los Angeles was reported to be under medical treatment for Stage 4 throat cancer.
Carl Magsilong, clerk of court of the RTC Branch 12, told the Inquirer in a telephone interview that De los Angeles was turned over by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) to the local Bureau of Jail Management and Penology at the Tacloban City airport and was brought to the subprovincial jail in Ormoc.
Chief Insp. Benjamin Elenzano of the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDG), said De los Angeles was brought out of a detention cell in Camp Karingal at around 2 in the morning Thursday and escorted by the station’s head of warrant section, Chief Insp. Edgardo Enopia.
Co-accused
Magsilong said the judge’s commitment order was carried out without opposition from the camp of De los Angeles.
The warrants of arrest for the co-accused were put on hold after their lawyers filed a petition for review with the Department of Justice (DoJ), the clerk of court said.
Magsilong said De los Angeles’ lawyer had notified the court of his withdrawal to represent the businessman.
“Since then the court has not received any information about a new lawyer,” he said.
Separate room
Because of his medical condition, De los Angeles will be kept separately from other inmates, said Ormoc jail officer in charge Domingo Plimaco.
Plimaco said the jail, which has three cells and a capacity of 50 inmates, was holding as many as 100 inmates.
He said only two of the three cells were for the male inmates because one cell was for five female inmates.
The room where De los Angeles would be kept has enough space for just a bed so he would be using the toilet of the jail staff, according to Plimaco.
While De los Angeles will not be staying in a jail cell, he will still be confined in the jail compound so the commitment order can be enforced, the jail officer said.
Tube cleared
The 57-year-old Angeles arrived at the jail at around 9:30 a.m. escorted by four personnel of the Quezon City CIDG, he said.
But De los Angeles was brought to Clinica Gatchalian in Ormoc at about 2 p.m. on Thursday to undergo pharyngeal suctioning to clear the tube attached to his throat.
Plimaco said De los Angeles had difficulty breathing so he decided to bring the latter to the hospital for humanitarian reasons.
De los Angeles was returned to the jail at around 3 p.m.
Plimaco said he would ask the court for the transfer of De los Angeles to a hospital because of his poor health.
“He is really sick from the looks of it. Tubes are attached to his stomach and throat. We don’t have the necessary facilities for him. Something bad might happen to him and we’ll be blamed,” Plimaco said in a phone interview.
But Magsilong said that it would be up to the lawyers of Angeles to petition the court.
Arraignment
In the absence of a court decision allowing De los Angeles’ transfer to a hospital, he would have to remain in jail, Magsilong said.
Galacios said the court would schedule the arraignment of De los Angeles.
CVC Law is handling all cases filed by the BSP against the businessman consisting of eight cases of falsification and six cases of syndicated estafa.
Three of the syndicated estafa cases had been filed in court—one in Ormoc and two others in General Santos City.
Another case of syndicated estafa is still pending resolution at the DoJ, Galacios said.
He said De los Angeles could be summoned to appear in other trial courts in cases where his presence would be necessary such as during the arraignment and promulgation of judgment.
The other syndicated estafa cases built by the BSP against De los Angeles are the P830-million case involving the Rural Bank of Darbci in General Santos City; the P435-million case involving the Rural Bank of Carmel in Cebu; the P500-million case involving the Rural Bank of Bais in Negros; and another case (P70 million) involving the Rural Bank of Darbci. All these banks are owned by the Legacy Group.
In all the cases, the BSP accused De los Angeles and other officials and owners of the Legacy Group of soliciting deposits and investments from the public by offering interest rates much higher than average market rates, and then siphoning off the money.
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It has been said that the Legacy Group of Companies which de los Angeles owns was also able to buy lands in Baranggay Rizal, Palompon, Leyte but until now no complaint was filed in the local courts which most likely will be known immediately in the said town. Maybe they were not able to transfer or sell it to other investors yet.
So, would be buyers should be aware of this high profile company and avoid getting involved in promises of high returns to investments which most likely turn out to be a bust. As of now we are seeing the karma of what they have done to their countrymen whether rich or poor. They court cases that are being filed left and right by the BSP and other affected persons who lost money in their widely syndicated scam.
What is worse is the stage 4 throat cancer that the head honcho of Legacy was suffering as a consequence of his deeds. As God says your sins will surely affect your health.
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