Police station commanders told to intensify crime prevention, patrolling

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Top Rigen execs sentenced to life imprisonment for syndicated estafa

The Tagum City Regional Trial Court Branch 2 has convicted the officials of Tagum City-based Rigen Wellness Product Marketing and sentenced them to life imprisonment for syndicated estafa.

In a statement, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said the court convicted Rigen Marketing’s John Colorines Garcia and King Paul Bryan Auditor for the crime of syndicated estafa in handing down the decisions of the two criminal cases on April 11 and May 2, 2023.

Garcia and Auditor were sentenced to life imprisonment in both cases, alongside payment of actual damages totaling P2.01 million and moral damages amounting to P120,000, plus an interest of 6% per annum.

The investment fraud promised investors on making 30-day income returns of up to 400%.

“The cases stemmed from the complaints of two individuals who were enticed to invest in Rigen Marketing after it allegedly promised income returns of up to 400% within a span of 30 days.

Rigen Marketing claimed that profits were generated from in- vestments in cryptocurrency and foreign exchange trading,” the statement said.

“It has been held that where one states that the future profits or income of an enterprise shall be a certain sum, but he actually knows there will be none, or that they will be less than he represents, the statements constitute an actionable fraud where the hearer believes him and relies on the statement to his injury,” the statement quoting the court.

The statement said that the court noted that Rigen Marketing employed fraud when Garcia, Auditor, and its officers pretended to have the authority to solicit investments from the general public when it did not have such authority.

“[T]he promised high-yielding venture was unsustainable, as Rigen Marketing was not really engaged in any legitimate business,” the decision read.

The statement also cited Section 1 of Presidential Decree No. 1689 that “provides an additional punishment of life imprisonment for the crime of estafa, as provided in Articles 315 to 316 of the FTOP, P10

Police station commanders in Davao City were reminded to intensify efforts in preventing crimes and patrolling operations particularly in crime-prone areas in Davao City.

This is in line with the launch of “Patrol Rehiyon Onse” by the Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) on May 24, 2023, which aims for a more effective patrol system.

“Ang “Patrol Rehiyon Onse” gipabalik sa atoang regional director ang basic na trabaho sa kapulisan nga crime prevention ug ang pagpatrol dinha sa mga kadalanan. Ang backbone sa trabaho sa pulis kay magpatrol kay mas maayo na i-prevent na nato ang any crimes kaysa magsulbad ta ug krimen. Ang gusto sa city director dili lang maglakaw lakaw lang ang pulis apan ila ilahon nila ang mga vendors nga namaligya ug within sa iyahang patrol area dapat kaila sila. Kani sila ang partners nato sa kadalanan,” said Police Major Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Monday.

Dela Rey said city director Police Col. Alberto Lupaz ordered the station commanders to intensify patrol in the crime-prone areas in Davao City.

“Patrol Rehiyon Onse” is a standard operating procedure (SOP) that provides the policy guidelines to be undertaken by

FPOLICE, P10