Justice dismisses estafa raps vs. former general
MANILA
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has dismissed the estafa charges filed by Manila mayor Alfredo S. Lim against retired Gen. Roberto Calinisan for allegedly soliciting millions from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) for lack of evidence.
The DOJ, in a 14-page resolution penned by Acting City Prosecutor Liezel Aquiatan-Morales, recommended that the charges against another respondent, Celso Aristotle be dismissed for the same reason.
Three counts of estafa and falsification charges were instead filed against three other respondents, namely Crisologo "Chris" Manansala, Rogelio Deloria and Rodelio Salas.
The DOJ said that the three "used the official letterhead of the Office of the Mayor to accomplish their fraudulent scheme and to carry out their criminal design, which is to obtain money from PAGCOR to the prejudice of the City of Manila."
Calinisan was hired by Lim as a consultant on police and security matters in 2007.
Acting on the representation put forth by Calinisan that he was a close friend of Pagcor chairman Ephraim Genuino, Lim designated him as the liaison officer for matters between the City of Manila and the gaming agency.
Sometime in July 2007, Calinisan, and Crisologo Manansala went to Genuino requesting the latter for P1 million intended for the city to be coursed through a foundation.
The request was referred to the PAGCOR board.
A letter, bearing the official letterhead of the Office of the Mayor, was sent by Manansala to PAGCOR for the remittance of the requested amount to the "Ilaw ng May Kapansanan Foundation Inc.".
An undated letter again, using the official letterhead of the City Mayor, was again received this time by a certain Rolly Deloria who requested for the transfer of the name of the payee from “Ilaw ng May Kapansanan Inc.” to Jobs for Hopeless Persons Association.
A check dated Sept. 17, 2007 was received from PAGCOR by Aristotle Parilla, a nephew of Calinisan, in the latter's office at Manila City Hall.
Another check dated Oct. 8, 2007 was released by Pagcor directly to the Deloria foundation.
Subsequent request for payment and corresponding checks dated Nov. 15, 2007 and Dec. 12,2007 was issued and received by Salas, director of “Ilaw ng May Kapansanan”.
On Dec. 20, 2007, PAGCOR received another letter from Deloria requesting the government office to release the advance payments for the months of December 2007 to February 2008 which were subsequently released in check.
The fraud was discovered shortly after an audit upon the City of Manila regarding the status of the additional funds donated by PAGCOR to the foundations.
In his counter affidavit, Calinisan pointed out that it was Lim who gave him a verbal order to update him on the status of PAGCOR 's financial support to the city.
He also said that he informed PAGCOR in a letter to channel its donation to the city directly in lieu of Chinatown foundation.
Calinisan also said Lim's complaint was "founded on hearsay and conjectures sans credible evidence " adding that the same was "politically motivated" and was prompted out of Lim who "maliciously blamed" him for the mayor's ouster from the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).
The prosecutor sided with the former general who said that no money was deprived from the city since it did not reach the public coffers and were only supplemental in nature. (PNA)
Tags:
estafa, general calinisan, mayor lim, pagcor
Posted at: 16:33 | Add Comment
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