Royal Manchester Five update: 8 officers charged with estafa
May 25, 2008
The latest development on the Royal Manchester Five (RMF) scam: the National Bureau of Investigation filed charges last week against eight officers and incorporators of the RMF Ponzi scam.
Charged with estafa at the Department of Justice (DOJ) were:
- Cyrus Hao, RMF board chair and president;
- Edwin Rosas, senior vice president;
- Rowena Uy, treasurer-chief finance officer;
- Joseph Bualoy, chief operations officer;
- Joesedev Colina, executive vice president;
- Cyril Alexander Digo, sales agent;
- Estrella Digo, sales agent; and
- Clarence Lao, sales agent
The charges were based on the complaints filed by 27 investors victimized by the Ponzi scam.
(With pics) Wanted: Cyrus Hao of Royal Manchester Five Trading Corp.
March 11, 2008
The manhunt is on for 28-year-old Cyrus Yap Hao, said to be the president of Royal Manchester Five Trading Corp. (RMF), a foreign currency investment company that duped thousands of investors of money amounting to more than P2.1 billion (US$51 million).
Several investors trooped to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) this week to complain that the checks they are holding have been dishonored and that Cyrus Hao, who hails from Pilar, Sorsogon, and Renato San Juan, company vice president for marketing, could not be located. The two are feared to have already fled the Philippines on Tuesday, March 4.
Other officers of RMF — Vice Presidents Joesedev Colina, Edwin Rosas and Joseph Bualoy, and Vice President for Finance Rowena Uy — claim they have also been cheated, but investors say they do not believe them.
RMF is a currency-trading investment program that enticed investors with a guaranteed return of 4-5% every month. Minimum investment amount is P200,000 ($5,000).
Celebrity-investors said to be victims of the scam include professional basketball players and an actor. They are:
- Ginebra Gin Kings player Rafi Reavis (P8.9 million plus $330,485.40)
- Johnny and his wife Mary Ann Abarrientos (P6.9 million, plus another P2.5 million from Johnny)
- Mark Macapagal (P2.5 million)
- former Purefoods Hotdogs coach Eric Altamirano and wife Marissa (P1.2 million and P0.889 million, respectively)
- Alaska cager Edward Juinio (P7.2 million)
- actor Rustom Padilla ($47,000)
