RCBC Can Fire CEO Lorenzo Tan-Maia Dequito

The Senate Investigation into the stealing of United States Dollars Eighty One Million (US$81,000,000) appears to be useless. They have not been able to unearth the true and real facts about how the stealing of the money actually took place. And where is the money now.

The central and key role players Kim Wong, Maia Santos Dequito, Lorenzo Villanueva Tan and other officials of RCBC including those of other banks, the casinos, will never reveal the real truth about the transaction. They will merely keep saving their hides and divert the investigation somewhere else.

Illegal Drugs kingpin Kim Wong
Gained power and notoriety during the time of President Joseph Estrada

 RCBC Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo V. Tan

RCBC Jupiter St. Branch Manager Maia Santos Dequito

The Chairman of the Board, Helen Yuchengco Dee and the rest of the Members of the Board of RCBC can fire CEO Lorenzo Villanueva Tan and Maia Santos Dequito for Criminal Negligence, Ignorance, Greed and Economic Sabotage.

 Amb. Alfonso Yuchengco, RCBC Chairman Emeritus

RCBC Chairperson, Helen Yuchengco Dee

The premise for this dishonorable removal from the rolls of RCBC are as follows:

1. Just because Tan and Kim Wong are good buddies, Tan should still have conducted proper due diligence on the source of the fund that will be transmitted to the Philippines from its foreign origin. In which case, the FINCEN and financial intelligence should have been notified and involved, along with the rest of the verifying authorities in the international banking community - not the least of which is the international anti-money laundering secretariat.

2.  Tan and his subaltern Maia Santos Dequito refused this because they needed to push through with the transaction without any hassle. But it was incumbent upon them to stop the transaction if and when there were irregularities particularly on where the money originated from.

3.  When the transaction was already in progress, Tan and Dequito, withdrew large amounts of money for themselves as manifested by a witness who saw Dequito's car being loaded under her own instructions with no less than Philippine Pesos Twenty Millions (Php20,000,000). Did they include other members of the Board or key officials of the RCBC?  Then they did not implement the stop order from the New York originating bank and the stop request from Bangladesh Central Bank.  How cruel, beastly and stupidly greedy is that?  They knew that shit will hit the fan, but come hell and high waters they proceeded to release the funds. Are they that beholden to criminals?  Dequito was also under instructions to fly away as far and as fast as possible but she was technically accosted, short of being arrested, by officers of the law at the NAIA prior to her flight.

4.  Lorenzo Villanueva Tan and Maia Santos Dequito knew that there were knowledgeable individuals and institutions that could help them. They were even introduced properly to those entities. But they lifted their chins up high, berated those parties and stated in no uncertain terms that they already had the situation under control. How stupid is that?

5.   During the time the transaction was in progress, the CCTV in RCBC Jupiter Branch was reported to be non-functional according to Laurinda Rogero, the RCBC anti-money laundering head. Is this part of the highly criminal modus operandi of Dequito and her boss?

Criminals never know when lightning and thunder will strike. And that they will be the next victims. Like all gamblers, criminals always go into the commission of crime knowing that they will succeed.

The natural law prevailed in this case and Tan and Dequito might go to jail for all we care. But the government must resolve this case and not be a pushover or a whitewasher if it must preserve the image of the country in the international financial community.

The places where the money was delivered to:

Midas Hotel - operated by Lucio, Zaldy Co, Bantug-Benitez, allegedly owned by Mike Arroyo

 Resorts World Manila - operated by Andrew Tan Megaworld but allegedly owned by Mike Arroyo

Solaire Casino - owners based in Macau 

Campaign: Rehabilitate Bohol, Cebu and Negros Oriental

Help campaign for the rehabilitation of Bohol, Cebu and Negros Oriental, support through your own community the effort to make our legislators pass into the law the creation of the Zamboanga Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Commission!

Please write to your Congressman, Senators and other officials. Let us the show the power of the people for change!

Providing funds for Zamboanga and Bohol-Cebu-Negros restoration takes away some of the money the evil ones are stealing from our national treasury. And let us all watch and guard so that the money for rehabilitation will be well spent!

To address the problem, a bill at the Senate of the Philippines will be passed into law to support in the recovery efforts of the people of Bohol, Cebu and Negros Oriental.

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC       )

OF THE PHILIPPINES                                                  )

_________ Regular Session                                     )

SENATE

S.B. No. __________

Introduced by Senator Ferdinand R Marcos Jr

_________________________________________________________________________________

EXPLANATORY NOTE

_________________________________________________________________________________

The provinces of Bohol, Cebu and in recent past, Negros Oriental, Philippines suffered massive, extremely dangerous earthquakes. Such disasters left deep, indelible imprints on the national psyche and upon people all over the world thus the incidents demand our undivided attention.

Pursuant to Section 4, Article II of 1987 Philippine Constitution providing, “The prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect the people”, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (RA 10121) was enacted into law. With this, Philippine DRRM Plan 2011-2028 was adopted to ensure that the government shall establish and strengthen capacities of communities to anticipate, cope and recover from the negative impact of emergency occurrences and disasters. The DILG as the Vice Chair for Preparedness of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) issued a Memorandum Circular No. 2012-79 to implement the Seal of Disaster Preparedness. The aimed at recognizing and incentivizing local governance performance in institutionalizing disaster preparedness, and to assess performance gaps, link gaps to policy or program intervention and monitor improvements on disaster preparedness. In the recent Bohol-Cebu calamity, the resulting effects from the earthquake, are as follows:

1.            Fatalities: more than 218 persons dead

2.            Missing: more than 8 persons unaccounted for as this time

3.            In Bohol lone, more than 120,000 persons displaced and evacuated.

4.            Civilians Injured in Bohol province alone : 760

5.         More than seventy nine (79) designated evacuation centers in Bohol-Cebu were filled to the brim with displaced persons.

6.         Loss and damage to property estimated at more or less in the range of 10 billion pesos with a cost of reconstruction reaching up to 20 billion pesos

Thus said, the recent calamity that hit Bohol and Cebu City resulted in enormous loss to the people in terms of structures. Ground shift, water retreat from the affected areas’ sea lines, these are merely some of the effects of the disaster in Bohol, Cebu and continue to be suffered by the population in Negros Oriental that in recent past also suffered a massive earthquake. Infrastructure damage is estimated at not less than fifteen billion Philippine Pesos (PHP15-B) in all three areas of Bohol, Cebu and Negros. These assessments form part of the early findings only on the overall worth of the destruction brought about by the calamity.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) office in Bohol and Cebu area, according to its Officer-in-Charge, Allan Rommel R. Labayog, suffered intense shaking in the PHIVOLCS seismic vault that subsequently damaged the earthquake sensor equipment of PHIVOLCS in the area. This makes PHIVOLCS now handicapped to monitor earthquakes in said area in the immediate future and this, among others, needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

In paragraph 2, Section 23, Article VI of the Philippine Constitution, it is stated that “in times of war or other national emergency, the Congress may, by law, authorize the President, for a limited period and subject to such restrictions as it may prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out a declared national policy. Unless sooner withdrawn by resolution of the Congress, such powers shall cease upon the next adjournment thereof."

In paragraph 2, Section 26 Article VI it states, that “No bill passed by either House shall become a law unless it has passed three readings on separate days, and printed copies thereof in its final form have been distributed to its Members three days before its passage, except when the President certifies to the necessity of its immediate enactment to meet a public calamity or emergency. Upon the last reading of a bill, no amendment thereto shall be allowed, and the vote thereon shall be taken immediately thereafter, and the yeas and nays entered in the Journal.

And in Section 17, Article XII of the Philippine Constitution, it states that. “In times of national emergency, when the public interest so requires, the State may, during the emergency and under reasonable terms prescribed by it, temporarily take over or direct the operation of any privately-owned public utility or business affected with public interest."

This proposed bill seeks to put in place a Bohol-Cebu-Negros Rehabilitation Commission (BCNRC) that will be responsible for developing, formulating and implementing a Bohol-Cebu-Negros Rehabilitation and Development Plan at the quickest and soonest possible time.  In Negros Oriental, a group, Centre Humanes et Societas, Inc. through its network of organizations in the province, has enjoined the forming of a Standing Conference on Negros Oriental Rehabilitation and Development.

The Standing Conference has formulated the comprehensive plan for rehabilitating Negros Oriental in the post-earthquake period and the results of their work will be used in the course of the work of the Commission that is the subject of this Act. This measure emanates from a series of consultations with various stakeholders.  Confident of their noble intentions and breadth of knowledge in the matter involved, the immediate enactment of this proposed measure into law is most fervently enjoined.

FERDINAND R MARCOS JR

The Author: Senator Bongbong Marcos

Campaign: Help in the Passage to Law of Zamboanga Recovery senate bill

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC         )
OF THE PHILIPPINES                                           )
_________ Regular Session                                  )

SENATE

S.B. No. __________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Introduced by Senator Grace L. Poe

_________________________________________________________________________________

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The country's recent experiences when twin calamities hit Zamboanga City – the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) 20-day Siege of Zamboanga City and the flash floods that hit the City after the hostage-taking and burning of villages were dire experiences that merit national attention.

On September 9, 2013 armed elements staged an attack, on Zamboanga City notwithstanding the presence of the AFP Western Mindanao Command at Barangays Baliwasan, Calarian and the Philippine National Police’ Directorate for Integrated Police Operation-Western Mindanao and the Police Regional Office Region IX, PNP Maritime Group headquarters at Barangay Sta. Barbara.  The MNLF armed band has ties to both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Abu Sayyaf.

Severely affected were Barangays Sta. Catalina, Sta. Barbara, Kasanyangan, Mariki and Rio Hondo. This was precluded by the arrest a day earlier, on September 8, 2013 of six (6) Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) by Zamboanga City Public Safety Company at Brgy. Rio-Hondo yielding two cal .45 pistols, ammunition and six sets of camouflage uniforms,

The attack was perpetrated by heavily armed men of MNLF Misuari Faction in military fatigue uniform that landed in Zamboanga City led by Commanders Habier Malik, Ustadz Esmael Dasta, Hadjirin Handji Amin, Bas Arki, Asamin Hussini.  Their primary intention was to actualize their call for jihad vs. the infidel government, capture the City Hall of Zamboanga City and raise the MNLF Flag to highlight the demand of a Bangsamoro homeland. More rebels later landed in Brgy. Mampang and proceeded to Bgy. Sta. Barbara. The MNLF was blocked by security forces resulting in intense gun battle with MNLF taking civilian hostages as human shields. At gunpoint, hostages’ hands were tied and were made to line up at the frontline while the gun battle was raging. The hostages were used to make government forces stop firing.

Armed MNLF rebels held fort in different places in aforementioned Barangays of the City. The MNLF relentlessly engaged government forces in gun battle resulting in several casualties from the sides of both government and rebels as well as among the civilian population and volunteers from outside of Zamboanga. MNLF burned residential houses and commercial buildings, causing damage to infrastructures, loss of valuable property and livelihood. The attack paralyzed, and caused widespread fear and panic among the residents of the, City. Resulting from the Siege, are as follows:

1. More than 120,000 persons displaced and evacuated.
2. More than seventy nine (79) designated evacuation centers in the City were filled to the brim with displaced persons.
3. Loss and damage to property estimated at more or less in the range of billions of pesos (further compounded by the recent coming of flash floods following the 20-day siege)
4. Killed on MNLF side: 183
5. Captured on MNLF side: 292
6. Killed on the government side: 25
7. Wounded on the government side: 184
8. Civilians Killed: 12
9. Civilians Wounded: 70
10. Untold losses to Zamboanga-based and other agencies and private sector business establishments

Following the MNLF attack, an enormous flash flood brought the City to her knees. More major damages were observed resulting from this disaster. Several lives were lost to the enormous floods and among the populace, many suffered injuries. Zamboanga City infrastructure suffered damage in the aftermath of the floods of nearly One Hundred Million Philippine Pesos (PHP100-M). The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) office in Zamboanga City, according to its Officer-in-Charge, Allan Rommel R. Labayog, suffered flooding in the PHIVOLCS seismic vault and damaged the earthquake sensor equipment. These assessment form part of the early findings only on the overall worth of the destruction brought about by the calamity.

This proposed bill seeks to put in place a Zamboanga Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Commission (ZRRC) that will be responsible for developing, formulating and implementing a Zamboanga City Rehabilitation and Development Plan.

This measure emanates from a series of consultations with various stakeholders.  Trusting their conscientious intentions and depth of knowledge in the issues involved, the immediate enactment of this proposed measure into law is earnestly sought.



                                                                                          GRACE L. POE