International firm files charges VS Party-list solon, 6 others

Batangas City – The DV Boer Farm International Corporation has charged its former legal adviser and now Magsasaka Party-list representative Argel Joseph Cabatbat, former vice president for operations Krizza Joy Peracho, and former DV Boer operations director Abraham Aguilar with carnapping and qualified theft before the Department of Justice branch in Batangas in May 2020.

In the sworn affidavit of Soliman “Dexter” Villamin, the founder and president of the DV Boer Farm, he elaborated that the company-issued vehicle, Ford Everest (2007 model) with plate number NAW 2622 worth P1.1 million along with 3 units of cell phones amounting to P70,000 each and a laptop worth P75,000were taken by Peracho and her lover Aguilar on March 7, 2020 without the consent of the company. When the company demanded for return, it was rebuffed.

“Argel Cabatbat ordered Krizza and other employees of the company to run away and take what they could get with them during the time when DV Boer has been facing challenges and its management had been having disputes with former officers and business partners,” Villamin added in his affidavit.

In the recovery operations spearheaded by the High Patrol Group (HPG), police officers were informed by Peracho that the missing vehicle had been delivered to Congressman Cabatbat who is also facing a separate carnapping case for stealing a Toyota Land Cruiser also owned by the company.

Cabatbat initially refused to return the said vehicle and even threatened the police officers with legal countermeasures should they push through with their operations. The vehicle was eventually surrendered to the officers of Barangay Pinyahan in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, the three cellphones and a laptop were returned to the company through Peracho’s secretary.

Moreover, the DV Boer Farm files another qualified theft complaint against Randy Macalindol, one of its former legal advisors, Alvin Andulan, then Internal Audit Head, Carlo Sandot Tejada, and Junior Marasigan Gacula.

According to Villamin, the crime was committed sometime in January 2020 when the respondents illegally took company-owned properties which include company-issued cell phones worth P70,000each and laptops amounting to P75,000 per unit.

Villamin added that the respondents also stole confidential information contained in these electronic devices and misused them for testifying in two cases against the company. These pieces of information cost P250 million on account of the trade-secret value and commercial use of this information by the competitors and other business entities in the industry; these include financial figures, business models, client and supplier lists, process details, strategic plans, valuable process, and structure designs, etc.

DV Boer Farm International Corporation is located in Balibago, Lian, Batangas. It was established in October 2014 by a former pastry chef in Thailand and social entrepreneur Dexter Villamin. DV Boer Farm provides sustainable livelihood and affordable food source for the people.

In April 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an advisory against investing in DV Boer as it found the company operating an investment scheme. However, the said advisory was lifted by the regulatory body in January 2020.

The SEC added, “…(the) case is now deemed settled without any determination of fault or guilt on the part of DV Boer Farm International Corp.,”.

DV Boer Farm remains committed to it principles and advocacies: to uplift the lives of farmers and fishermen and bring Filipino agribusiness to global standards.