NBI: 2 ‘cash houses’ in Gracioso claim ‘validated’

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation said it has “validated” two residences that a dismissed police officer claimed to be “cash houses” owned by former Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and his wife.

“We validated his claim regarding the so-called cash houses, and we were able to establish that two of these seven cash houses are owned by the Velasco spouses,” NBI Director Melvin Matibag told reporters on Oct 6.

He was referring to earlier allegations by dismissed patrolman Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. that he had served as a bagman for Velasco, delivering amounts totaling more than P2 billion for Vice President Sara Duterte, P1 billion for former President Rodrigo Duterte, and P100 million for Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte.

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Matibag said the two cash houses were a residence on Champaca Street and another home on Sampaguita Street, both in Valle Verde 2, a gated community in Pasig.

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READ: DOJ scrutinizes Gracioso Jr. affidavit: We don’t want weak cases

Velasco-led firms

According to the NBI, the residence on Champaca Street is registered to a company called Eagle Assets and Realty Inc., of which Velasco’s wife Rowena is listed as president.

The house on Sampaguita Street is listed in Eagle’s registration documents as its office address and is “titled to a member of Rowena’s personal staff,” the bureau said.

Matibag also said the NBI is investigating two resorts owned by the Velascos, as affirmed by Gracioso and also established by the agency’s check on the registration of those properties.

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According to the bureau, an establishment in Torrijos, Marinduque called SARA Resort & Cabanas is operated by 888 Wealth Star Corp.—of which Rowena Velasco is president and chair, holding 60 percent of that company’s shares.

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There are also company shares “assigned without consideration,” Matibag said. “We are investigating that.”

He said the other property, Amara Resort & Villas, is operated by Amara Equity Ventures Inc., of which the Velasco couple serve as principal incorporators, holding 80 percent of its subscribed shares.

‘False accusations’

“Amara is the second name of Rowena, [because her full name is] Rowena Amara Enriquez-Velasco,” the NBI chief said. “What does this mean? Mr. Gracioso is on the mark with his claims regarding the homes and properties of the Velascos.”

The Inquirer reached out to one of the lawyers of the Velasco couple who has yet to respond, as of this writing.

But these lawyers appeared before the NBI on Monday upon its invitation and have received Gracioso’s affidavit detailing his allegations against the Velascos and Dutertes.

The Vice President on Tuesday denied what she counted as 29 “false accusations” by Gracioso. Addressing a press conference in the Duterte family’s bailiwick of Davao City, she said she believed Gracioso had no personal grudge against her and was instead seeking to settle scores with former Speaker Velasco, his former employer.

In response, Matibag urged Duterte to “present to us what are the 29 violations [against you], then we’ll be more than willing to investigate and compare [these with] the other evidence.”

The NBI had earlier asked the Vice President to explain her side regarding Gracioso’s claims. Her camp requested that appointment scheduled on Oct. 8.

Matibag said the NBI had also invited Representative Duterte, who was unable to appear on Monday and has rescheduled his meeting with the bureau to Oct. 12.

“We’re giving them leeway. Actually it’s an invitation, not a subpoena. So hopefully, if they really have claims, either they come here or present the document via letter, attach the evidence, then the NBI will do our job to investigate it,” Matibag said.

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Velasco, who is reportedly still abroad, released a statement earlier denying Gracioso’s allegations. /cb