NBI summons Manzano anew

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) sent another subpoena to actor and television host Luis Manzano for him to give his side on the large-scale estafa complaint filed against him.

Manzano was a no-show at the first scheduled probe on Monday when he asked for a 15-day extension to answer the charges filed against him by around 50 investors in the Flex Fuel Corp. co-ownership scheme.

The NBI Criminal Investigation Division set the next probe on Feb. 20.

Manzano is facing an investigation after dozens of investors went to the NBI, accusing the actor of estafa over a failed co-ownership scheme offered by Flex Fuel where the actor sat as chairman of the board.

The complainants reported investing hundreds of thousands of pesos to be gas station co-owners, but their money did not yield profit or no gas stations were built at all.

Manzano said he sought an NBI probe into the incident after some investors approached him for help, adding that the corporation also owed him P66 million.

The actor said he has divested his investments in the company and resigned as chairman of the board in February last year.