#KrisAquinoVsNickoFalcis
Ibinasura ng Taguig Prosecutor’s Office ang reklamong qualified-theft na isinampa ni Kris Aquino laban sa dating business associate niyang si Nicko Falcis.
Noon pang February 11, 2019 pirmado ang desisyon ngunit nito lamang March 12, Martes, natanggap ng magkabilang kampo ang kanilang kopya ng resolusyon.
Ito na ang pangatlong prosecutor's office na nagbasura ng qualified-theft complaint na inihain ni Kris laban kay Nicko.
Nauna na ang Makati at Pasig.
Bagamat ibinasura ng Taguig prosecutor ang reklamong qualified theft, iminungkahi naman nila ang pagsasampa ng kasong estafa at credit-card fraud laban kay Nicko.
Ayon sa resolusyon, "Although the credit card was issued under his name, it cannot be denied that the corporate credit card was issued through KCAP and upon the authorization of Aquino herself. And the same was entrusted to him to be utilized solely for the purpose of payment of KCAP-related expenses."
Nakasaad din sa resolusyon na ang pag-iisyu ni Nicko ng tsekeng nagkakahalaga ng mahigit P437,000 para bayaran ang kinukuwestiyong credit-card transactions ay isang patunay na ang mga transaksiyong ito ay hindi opisyal.
Ang pagkastigo ni Kris kay Nicko ay nagpapakita rin daw na hindi aprubado ng TV host-actress ang mga transakisyong ito.
Bahagi pa ng kopya ng resolusyon na nakuha ng PEP.ph (Philppine Entertainment Portal):
“WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is recommended that the complaint for Qualified Theft against Nicardo Falcis II y Madarang be DISMISSED.
“It is further recommended that the attached Information against Nicardo Falcis II y Madarang for Estafa through Misappropriation and Conversion, as defined and penalized under paragraph 1 (b) of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code, and Violation of Section 9 (j) of Republic Act No. 8484 be duly approved and filed in court.
“Taguig City, February 11, 2019.”
Pirmado ang resolusyon ni Assistant State Prosecutor Claire Eufracia P. Pagayanan at inaprubahan ni City Prosecutor Vincent L. Villena.
Ang desisyong ito ng Taguig Prosecutor's Office ay mas nauna pa sa desisyon ng Pasig Prosecutor’s Office noong February 15 at ng Makati Proscecutor’s Office noong February 18.
Matatandaang nagsampa si Kris ng qualified-theft complaint laban kay Nicko sa pitong lungsod ng Metro Manila—Taguig, Pasig, Makati, San Juan, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, at Manila.
Ito ay nag-ugat sa paggamit daw ni Nicko sa credit card ng kumpanya ni Kris, ang Kris Cojuangco Aquino Productions (KCAP), na umabot sa P1.270 million.
Humihingi si Kris ng danyos na aabot ng P32.27 million.
Kabilang dito ang P1,270,980.31 as actual damages, P15,000,000 as temperate damages, P1,000,000 as exemplary damages, P10,000,000 as moral damages, P5,000,000 as attorney's fees, at halaga ng pagtatagal ng bista o hearing.
KRIS AQUINO REACTS
Sa pamamagitan ng Instagram kagabi rin, kaagad nag-post ng statement si Kris mula sa Divina Law, ang law firm na humahawak ng mga kaso niya laban kay Nicko.
Ipinagbunyi nila ang rekomendasyon ng Taguig prosecutor na sampahan ng kasong estafa at fraud si Nicko.
Ngunit hindi nabanggit dito ang pagbasura sa reklamong qualified theft.
Nakasaad sa pahayag ng Divina Law: “The Taguig Prosecutor issued a Resolution finding probable cause to charge Nicko Falcis with the crimes of Estafa through Misappropriation and Conversion and violation of Access Devices Regulation Act.
“The Taguig-OCP found the statements of Ms. Kris Aquino as credible and the evidence she adduced as sufficient to establish a prima facie case that Nicko Falcis misappropriated and converted the corporate credit card entrusted to him for his own personal expenses.
“The truth has finally come out and we are hopeful that all the other cases filed against Nicko Falcis will reach the courts and he will be held accountable for his crimes.
“Ms. Kris Aquino continues to believe in our judicial system.
“Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, black propaganda, or disbelief.
“Truth will always prevail.”
Bahagi naman ng caption ni Kris sa kanyang post: “The Taguig City Fiscal is charging Nicko Falcis in court with Estafa and Credit Card Fraud.
"i need to point out, sa tamang paraan ang pag post nito- as you can see in my video, we received REGISTERED MAIL here at home today.
"Hindi po isang entertainment portal ang unang naglabas ng balita.”
NICKO FALCIS STATEMENT
Kagabi rin, kaagad nagpadala sa PEP.ph ng kanilang reaksiyon ang kampo ni Nicko Falcis tungkol sa desisyon ng Taguig Prosecutor's Office.
Sa pamamagitan ng kapatid nitong si Atty. Jesus Falcis—na tumatayo ring kanyang spokesperson—sinabi ng kampo ni Nicko na ikinatuwa nila ang pagbasura sa qualified-theft complaint ni Kris.
“Last March 07, 2019, the Office of the City Prosecutor of Taguig issued a Resolution (1) DISMISSING the complaint of Kris Aquino for QUALIFIED THEFT, (2) finding probable cause for Estafa, and (3) finding probable cause for violation of R.A. 8484 or the Access Device Regulation Act of 1998.
“Taguig prosecutors correctly dismissed the complaint of Kris Aquino.
"They had no choice otherwise they would appear grossly ignorant of the law for there was clearly no taking of property.”
Ngunit, sa kabilang banda, inalmahan nila ang desisyong may probable cause para sampahan ng kasong estafa at credit-card fraud si Nicko.
Tinawag nilang "absurd and ridiculous" ang desisyong ito ng Taguig prosecutor dahil hindi naman kabilang ang estafa sa isinampang reklamo ni Kris laban kay Nicko.
Nakasaad sa pahayag ni Nicko: “But their finding of probable cause for estafa and violation of R.A. 8484 smacks not just of gross ignorance of the law but of the manifest BIAS and grave abuse of discretion of the prosecutors.
“I am reminded of what Kris Aquino has told me during the course of our professional relationship and during the height of her publicity stunts accusing me of qualified theft – ‘Nicko, malakas ako sa Taguig, San Juan, at Quezon City.’
“This was the reason why my lawyers filed a motion for inhibition in Taguig, which was denied, because most of the prosecutors handling the case were appointees of former President Noynoy Aquino, the brother of Kris Aquino.
“The Taguig decision is absurd and ridiculous when compared to the logic and findings of the Office of the City Prosecutors of Makati and Pasig, who we are grateful for not having buckled under the pressure of an Aquino.
"The prosecutors of the two cities have emphasized that there was no violation of R.A. 8484 because the credit card I used was in my name and was not stolen, lost, expired, revoked, cancelled, suspended, or obtained with intent to defraud.
“The Taguig prosecutors seem to be lawyering for Kris Aquino when they found probable cause for estafa, a charge which was nowhere to be found in the complaint of Kris Aquino!
"Such decision violates my right to due process, where I have to be informed of the charges filed against me and given the opportunity to respond to the charges.
“My lawyers recall the first sign of bias from Taguig when they weren’t given a copy of the complaint on the first day we asked for it last year."
Sabi pa ni Nicko: “I will exhaust all legal remedies to resist and fight the injustice and perversion of the rule of law.
"My lawyers will be filing an Omnibus Motion to Quash, for Inhibition, and for Re-Determination of Probable Cause before the Metropolitan Trial Court of Taguig and a Motion for Reconsideration before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Taguig.
“We may not be an Aquino but we believe justice will prevail in the end.”