Deguito camp cries harassment over perjury arrest

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of resigned Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Jupiter branch manager Maia Santos Deguito on Wednesday evening said the arrest of the bank manager was a form of harassment.

Deguito’s legal counsel, Ferdinand Topacio said the absence of information or criminal complaint in the arrest warrant is a proof that the people behind the case want to harass the accused. Topacio said they were also not notified about the hearing of preliminary investigation which is a stage prior to the filing of criminal complaint.

“In fact until now, we do not know who filed the case,” said Topacio.

Topacio said Deguito could have been the target of a “secret filing” just to harass her.

“And while we are not accusing anyone yet, as a lawyer for almost 25 years, I know how this can be done with the collusion of some corrupt personnel in the City Prosecution Office and the police who will collude to have a warrant issued and served so as to afford no opportunity for the subject to post bail,” Topacio added.

Deguito was arrested by the Makati City police Wednesday afternoon at the Rockwell mall on charges of perjury. She posted bail of P6,000 but her release order from the Pasay City Regional Trial Court was delayed.

READ: Deguito arrested in Makati

Senior Superintendent Alex Fulgar, deputy chief for administration of the Makati Police said Deguito was served her arrest warrant by personnel of the city police’s warrant section.

Fulgar said the complainant was not indicated in the arrest warrant, which was issued by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 46.

Fulgar said Deguito was released at about 1 a.m. Thursday after posting a P6,000 bail bond with the Pasay court.

Deguito was earlier implicated by businessman William Go to a multi-billion peso money laundering scheme involving $81 million, which was moved from the account of the Bangladesh Bank at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to several accounts in the RCBC Jupiter branch.

Deguito allegedly confided to Go that she opened "fictitious" accounts – dollar and peso – at the branch on Feb. 23, 2016. The accounts were made under Go's brokerage firm Centurytex Trading.

The alleged money laundering case is now being investigated by the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Senate.