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For the past 21 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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(JGLi) -- A loan broker from the Philippines has been charged in connection with a $15 million scheme to defraud the Export-Import Bank of the United States (the Ex-Im Bank), Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Matthew Friedrich and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeffrey A. Taylor announced Tuesday (Oct. 7).
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a nine-count indictment against Bettina Balderrama, a.k.a Bonnie Balderrama, 57, of Manila, Philippines. The indictment charges that Balderrama brokered approximately $15 million worth of fraudulent loan transactions between companies located in the Philippines and U.S. lending banks, in which the Ex-Im Bank acted as guarantor or insurer.
The Ex-Im Bank, an independent agency of the United States, is the official export credit agency of the United States and issues loan guaranties and insurance to U.S. banks on behalf of creditworthy foreign companies for the purpose of purchasing U.S. goods. Once the Ex-Im Bank issues a loan guaranty or insurance policy, if the foreign borrower defaults on its loan repayments to a lending bank, the Ex-Im Bank pays the amount of the outstanding loan to the lending bank.
According to the indictment, between December 2001 and October 2004 Balderrama identified companies in the Philippines that wanted to borrow money to purchase U.S. goods and lending banks in the United States that would lend money for the purpose of buying U.S. goods. Balderrama then assisted the borrowers in executing loan agreements with the lending banks and in obtaining loan guaranties or insurance policies from the Ex-Im Bank as part of the loan agreements.
The indictment alleges that Balderrama recruited a U.S. exporter, Cristina Song, for the purpose of purchasing U.S. goods and shipping those goods to the Philippine borrowers, and then instructed Song to prepare false shipping documents and submit those false documents to the lending banks to make it appear that she had purchased and shipped goods. The indictment alleges that Song did not purchase the goods called for in the loan agreements, and instead misappropriated a majority of the loan proceeds and sent large portions of those proceeds to bank accounts owned and controlled by Balderrama and other foreign bank accounts as directed by Balderrama.
Balderrama has been charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit offenses against the United States; three counts of submitting false statements to the Ex-Im Bank; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; three counts of money laundering; and one count of obstructing a proceeding before a department and agency of the United States. If convicted, Balderrama faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge; five years in prison on each of the false statement charges; 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy charge; 10 years in prison on each of the money laundering charges; and five years in prison on the obstruction charge. The indictment also seeks forfeiture from Balderrama of the misappropriated loan proceeds.
Song, 50, of Whittier, Calif., an alleged co-conspirator of Balderrama, entered a guilty plea on Nov. 16, 2007, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before Judge Richard W. Roberts, to a two counts information charging her with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of mail fraud. Song was sentenced on Oct. 2, 2008, to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $300,000 and pay restitution of more than $12 million to the Ex-Im Bank.
This case is part of a broader investigation into an $80 million scheme to defraud the Ex-Im Bank between November 1999 and December 2005. To date, eight individuals – Song, Daniel Curran, Edward Chua, David Villongco, Robert Delgado, Edward Javier, Jaime Galvez and Carlos Serrano – have pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial of charges related to their involvement in the fraud scheme.
Curran was sentenced on April 23, 2008, to 41 months in prison; Chua was sentenced on May 14, 2008, to 37 months in prison; Villongco was sentenced on Feb. 29, 2008, to 33 months in prison; Delgado was sentenced on Oct. 5, 2007, to 24 months in prison; Javier was sentenced on July 18, 2008, to six months in prison; and Galvez was sentenced on Jan. 7, 2008, to 12 months in prison. Serrano was convicted by a federal jury in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2008, of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. Serrano’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2009. In addition, four other individuals – Marilyn Ong, Ildefonso Ong, Nelson Ti and Joseph Tirona – have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for their alleged involvement in the scheme.
The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Hank Bond Walther of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Michael K. Atkinson, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
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After a life-changing misfortune, a Filipino family in Bergenfield turns to the community for help
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JERSEY CITY– Edilberto “Bong” Manansala woke up on Saturday, September 8, 2007 and was greeted by a beautiful morning. He must have thought that it was the perfect day to wake up to and do something outdoor. He thought of playing basketball at a nearby court in Bergenfied, NJ, so he called his friends and went to enjoy a day in the sun.
A few hours later, Bong’s wife, Edwina received a phone call. It was a call that would send her and her two kids spiraling down towards depression, financial crisis, and hopelessness. Edina learned that her husband collapsed on the court and hit his head hard on the concrete and cracked his skull. There was no blood on the court, though. The blood gushed inside his head. Edilberto “Bong” Manansala never woke up again– He fell into a coma.
Bong was taken to Hackensack Hospital by an ambulance and the doctors told Edwina that an open brain surgery is necessary. So the doctors opened his skull and started the procedure. For Bong, Edwina and their two children, things will never be the same.
Bong Manansala worked as a machinist in at Acme Gear in Englewood, New Jersey. He is strong man, a loving father, and a good husband to Edwina. He is not the kind of man that would give up easily. That’s why when the doctor who did the surgery on the heavily damaged brain of Bong told Edwina to accept reality and pull the plug on Bong, she vehemently refused.
Edwina, in an exclusive interview with the Express expressed anger at the doctors and the insurance company that have given up on her husband. “Sabi ng doctor madami na daw syang injuries sa ulo at mas mabuti na daw I pull ang plug (The doctor said he has so much brain injury and that it’s better to pull the plug).”
A tearful Edwina protested. “ Tinanong ko ang doctor kung brain dead sya. Hindi naman daw. So bakit nawawalan na sila ng pag asa? Pag kinakausap ko ang asawa ko kahit di sya sumasagot, nakikita ko nag rerespond sya (I asked the doctor if he is brain dead, he said no, so why is he losing hope? When I talk to my husband, even if he doesn’t talk back, I can see that he responds).”
The tragic accident took a toll on Edwina and her two children, Edward, 29, and Alexandria, 17. Their funds were completely wiped out by the bills and their house is in danger of foreclosure. Edwina became severely depressed and could not work, hence filed for disability in the pharmaceutical company where she works as an administrative secretary. She depends on her husband’s social security paycheck and her small disability pay. She feels helpless and unable to function as she used to.
The same happened to her two children. Both are depressed and blamed themselves for the grave misfortune that their family is suffering. Fights ensued and later the two children were separated to avoid further damage. Alex went to live with her aunt, while Edward got married and moved to Jersey City. Edwina lives alone in the family house in dire need of financial help.
“Ayaw na magbayad ng insurance company kasi hindi na daw nag improve ang condition ng asawa ko. Nag appeal ako at nanalo ako sa court, so yung last operation ng asawa ko mababayaran ng insurance. Pero yung bills nya sa nursing home, yung bills sa bahay, mga gamut eh kinukuha ko lamang sa maliit na social security niya ( Our insurance company refused to pay the bill for my husband’s last surgery. They said, his condition is not improving so they will cease payment. I appealed the case and won in court, so they agreed to pay. But for the other bills, the nursing home bills and medicines, I have to use my husband’s social security),” Edwina said.
In the middle of this black hole of depression and helplessness, Edwina knew only God could help her so she prayed. According to Edwina, God led her to Monsignor Arnohlz of Bergenfield who was instrumental in bringing her to the attention of D. Jane Albanese, director and founder of a charity organization called Giants of Generosity. Ms. Albanese then committed herself and her group to help the Manansalas in any way possible. The director took Edwina to several government officials to ask for assistance, including Ms. Diana Digirolamo, director of Community Resource Council of NJ, and the Departments of Health and Insurance of New Jersey.
Despite the enormous help from these groups, however, Edwina still needs more help, and this time she is asking from the Filipino community: “Sana matulungan kami sa pangangailangan naming para sa pagpapagamot ng mister ko ( I hope people will help us with our financial needs for my husband’s recovery).”
While the whole country is suffering from an economic crisis, cases like these often bring out the best in people. Bong and Edwina Manansala are like everyone else before that fateful Saturday in September of last year. They partied, shopped, tended their lawns, took their kids to school and enjoyed everything Americans enjoy. But with a single stroke of misfortune, the unthinkable happened. Now, their lives are not even half of what it used to be. Not even traces of the good life that they enjoyed can be seen in their bruised and haggard faces. Instead, their world is enveloped in misery, tears and regret. It is not too late, however. Hope springs eternal. And in this time of need, Edwina is pinning her hopes on her own people.
D Jane Albanese of Giants of Generosity told this reporter that Filipino-Americans who are extending any financial help to the Manansalas can make their checks payable to Giants of Generosity, Inc. Here is the contact information:
Giants of Generosity, Inc.
info@giantsofgenerosity.org
201 Piermont Road #16
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ST. CHARLES, IL– It’s hard to tell what gave her away. Was it her facial expression? Her verbal expression or lack of it? Or her body language? Nobody could tell. But what is clear is that Cristina V. Franquia will not be able to enjoy a Second Chance.
A panel of community citizens had ruled that the 51- year-old Ms. Franquia, who only speaks Tagalog, could not enter a “pre-trial diversion program” also known as Second Chance Program that could permanently expunge her criminal record from the books. As a result, at the status hearing Wednesday (Oct. 8) of her case, Judge Patricia Pipor Golden of the Kane County 16th Judicial District in this outlying Chicago’s western suburb re-scheduled another hearing of her case on Nov. 6, 2008 to find out what the future holds with the case.
First Assistant Illinois State Attorney Clint Hull told this reporter, “it’s very hard to single out the reason or reasons that led to Ms. Franquiao’s rejection from attending the Second Chance Program. It is possible her behavior showed that she was unlikely to be acknowledging her mistakes or be remorseful for them. But only the panel knows the reason or reasons behind her rejection.
“Hopefully, before the next hearing of the case, we can still resolve this case if she enters a potential plea and we can reduce the felonies to misdemeanors that could mean probation or freedom for her,” Mr. Hull explained.
Ms. Franquia, a resident of 907 Shorewood Drive of the neighboring suburb of Bartlett, Illinois, was hauled to court for “unlawful possession of fraudulent” Illinois State identification card and a Resident Alien Card (Green Card), both felonies, as she tried to claim her casino jackpot winnings in the Grand Victoria Casino in neighboring Elgin, Illinois. If convicted of the felonies, she could earn jail time or restitution or fine.
An 83-year-old man, also from Bartlett, initially tried to claim the winnings for her but something tells the casino employees it was Ms. Franquia, who hit the jackpot. When employees asked for her identification papers, she whipped out the two ID’s, which turned out to be phony.
Police said that even if Franquia presented genuine ID cards, there was still likelihood that she still would not be able to collect the jackpot because she voluntarily signed up here name in the “banned list" of casino players. According to game officials, if a winner’s name is found in the banned list, the winnings go to a charity. If she is found guilty of felony, she could be deported to the Philippines after she serves out her sentence because she is not a US citizen.
Franquia is free on a $15,000 bond. Her lawyer, Matt Fuesting of the Scott Sheen & Associates, who assisted her defense Wednesday, refused to comment. Information supplied by Michelle Halbesma, director of the Second Chance Program, showed that the program is available only “for first time, non-violent offenders who have the opportunity to keep the conviction from being permanently entered on their record." The defendant must complete an intake interview, meet with and be approved by a panel of citizens from the community, and if accepted, complete the requirements placed upon him or her by the State Attorney’s Office.
The requirements include completing community service hours, obtaining high school diploma or G.E.D., completing counseling, writing a letter of apology to the victim, paying restitution to the victim and paying fees ($25) to the Second Chance Program. Upon successful completion of the program, the State Attorney’s Office moves for the dismissal of the pending charge against the defendant. If the defendant fails to successfully complete the program, the defendant is terminated from the program and the case is returned to court for prosecution.
To date, the Second Chance Program has proven to be beneficial to the offenders it restores to society, and the tax payers it offers financial relief. The Second Chance Program relieves over-crowding in the jails and caseloads in the courtrooms. The continued success of the program relies on support from the criminal justice system and the community. (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
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