THE Justice Department has ordered the refiling of a P3.4-million qualified theft case against fugitive billionaire and 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Michael Romero and two other former officials of Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc.
In a 19-page resolution, the department said “clear probable cause exists” against Romero, Edwin Jeremillo and Felicia Aquino for conspiring to issue 18 company checks in one day, bearing the amount of P200,000 each.
“First, the respondent-appellees were able to take a total amount of P3,409,844.10 from the bank account of HCPTI, which shows taking of personal property. Second, the said money belongs to HCPTI. It must be stressed that amounts of more than P500,000 must be approved by the chairman of HCPTI. The acts of respondent-appellees Romero and Jeremillo in issuing and drawing 18 checks in the amount of P200,000 except for the last two showed their intent to circumvent the existing board resolution of HCPTI without the needed consent of their chairman,” read the resolution signed by Justice Undersecretary Deo Marco.
The checks, supposedly for “marketing expenses,” were made payable to the “National Food Authority and/or Felicia Aquino.” It was Romero and Jeremillo who signed and issued the checks, which in turn were cashed by Aquino.”©”©
The Justice Department granted the petition for review filed by HCPTI corporate secretary Jerome Canlas, who sought to overturn the September 2016 resolution of the Manila city prosecutor’s office dismissing the case.
The Justice Department recognized Canlas as a valid complainant representing Romero’s father, construction magnate Reghis Romero II.
“In the case before us, even though there is no showing of prior agreement among the accused, their separate acts taken and viewed together are actually connected and complement each other, indicating a unity in criminal design and purpose,” read the DOJ resolution.
“It is indisputable that the three conspired with one another to appropriate for themselves the total amount of P3,409,844 to the damage and prejudice of HCPTI.”
Marco ordered the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office to refile the case before the Manila RTC.
Manila RTC Branch 11 Judge Cicero Jurado Jr. earlier issued a hold departure order against Romero and Jeremillo over the qualified theft case they are facing.
“Furnish the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration a copy of this Order [HDO] together with the pertinent pictures and documents for their information and guidance,” said Jurado, in an order issued in May.
Jurado in January issued an arrest warrant against Romero, Jeremillo and Aquino.
“Despite the issuance of the warrant of arrest, both accused [Romero and Jeremillo] have evaded and have not been arrested so far. It was also pointed out that accused Michael Romero is currently the vice chairman of AirAsia Philippines, a low-cost airline based in Manila and an affiliate of AirAsia in Malaysia. Ergo, it was argued that it was easy for him to leave the country should he wish,” read the ruling, which approved the motion for the issuance of an HDO filed by the private prosecutor.
“There is nothing, therefore, wrong in issuing the hold departure order,” Jurado said in his decision.”©The public and private prosecutors earlier tagged Romero—whose last known places of residence were at 7 Warbler St. Greenmeadows Subdivision in Quezon City and at Oracle Residences Katipunan Ave. also in Quezon City—as a “flight risk.”
Before the issuance of the arrest warrant, Romero had been very active in the House of Representatives and was a member of at least 15 committees.”©”©
In January, Romero was also barred by a Quezon City Regional Trial Court from claiming ownership of HCPTI, a move that exposed possible challenges in the ownership of the Manila North Harbor Port Inc., which has been taken over by conglomerate San Miguel Corp.”©”©
Quezon City Branch 222 Judge Edgar Santos also ordered Romero and his affiliates, as well as their agents, employees and successors-in-interest, to stop acting on behalf of HCPTI as shareholder or member of the board of directors of MNHPI.”©”©
SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang earlier said their group now controls a 78.33-percent interest in the contested port terminal firm. Before the transaction, MNHPI was 65-percent owned by HCPTI and 35 percent by San Miguel-owned Petron Corp. SMC eventually acquired an additional 43.44-percent stake.
