ROXAS: SMOKING GUN EVIDENCE IN TESTIMONIES OF TWO WITNESSES

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today said the Senate trade and commerce committee has found smoking gun evidence in the testimonies of two witnesses who appeared during the hearing into the pre-need industry financial plight Monday.

At the same time, the committee chairman scored the complicity of public officials in the pyramiding scheme that defrauded hundreds of thousands of Legacy group investors and plan holders as he rapped owner Celso de los Angeles for his attempt to thwart the Senate inquiry.

"Nakakakilabot ang kagarapalan ng scam na ito. Kawawa ang ating mga kababayan na nagamit ng mga salaring ito para payamanin ang kanilang mga sarili (The brazenness of this scam is hair-raising. I pity those who were used by these scoundrels to enrich themselves)," the chairman of the Senate trade and commerce committee said.

"Malinaw na malinaw na niloko nitong si De los Angeles ang kanyang mga plan holders at mga investors sa tulong nitong mga tiwaling opisyales na ito. Nakakagalit, nakakainis na pati mismo ang ahensiyang dapat sana ay nagbantay ng kanilang mga interest ay kasangkot sa kolusyon na ito (It is crystal clear how De los Angeles swindled his plan holders and investors with the help of corrupt public officials. It is infuriating to know tat even the agen cy that should have protected the interests of the victims was part of this collusion)," he added.

He cited the testimony of former Legacy Chief Operating Officer Carolina Hinola who revealed De los Angeles was a "close friend" of Commissioner Jesus G. Martinez, who is in-charge of all pre-need industry issues pending with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Hinola said at one time, she gave Martinez P1.475 million supposedly for a Ford Expedition bought for the Rural Bank of San Jose but was used by De los Angeles. She also testified that Martinez "helped Legacy when the company had problems renewing its dealership license in 2008 due to some deficiencies."

Hinola and former Chief Finance Officer Namnama Pasetes-Santos also detailed how De los Angeles siphoned off company funds into his personal accounts and into his mayoralty campaign during the 2007 senatorial elections.

Roxas said the testimonies, as well as the documents such as checks and vouchers, submitted by Hinola and Santos to the committee are incontrovertible evidence that could be used to nail down the businessman and to hold SEC's Martinez criminally and administratively liable for the anomalous collapse of the Legacy group of companies.

"Kaya naman pala naging inutil itong SEC eh. May kakampi naman pala itong si De los Angeles sa loob na nag-aayos ng mga problema niya. Sigurado marami pang ibang tao na sangkot dito. Aalamin natin lahat ito (It is now apparent why the SEC was so useless in the case of Legacy. De los Angeles has a protector inside who fixes his problems with the agency. I am sure there are more people involved in this and we will find out who they are)," he vowed.

At the same time, the Ilonggo senator rebuked De los Angeles for his attempts to frustrate the on-going Senate inquiry into the Legacy plight and for threatening employees and officials from testifying against him.

He recalled the fear that gripped both Hinola and Santos when they first approached the committee and volunteered to testify, narrating how De los Angeles had issued threats - verbally and through text message - if they surface and expose the schemes of the Legacy group.

The two witnesses have also testified that De los Angeles had tried to convince them to hide or escape to elude the services of subpoenas or warrants of arrest in connection to the Senate probe and the cases filed by the SEC, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and aggrieved investors against the owner and officials of the various Legacy companies.

"Takot siyang malaman ng taumbayan ang panlolokong ginawa niya at kung sino ang mga taong kakutsaba niya sa paggawa ng mga ito. Mahalaga ang katotohanan at hindi tayo titigil hanggang hindi natin nakikita ang puno't dulo ng lahat ng ito (He does not want the people to know of his schemes and who his cohorts are. It is important that we unearth the truth. We will not stop until we get into the bottom of this)," Roxas stressed.

The Senate committee, in coordination with and with the authorization of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, has provided security and personal protection to the two former Legacy key officers.