AN OFFICIAL of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Northern Mindanao said there might just be a way for "investors" to get the money they poured into the Kapa-Community Ministry International.
NBI Regional Director Patricio Bernales said to get the money back, "investors" will have to file a case against Kapa.
"Naay way makuha ang kwarta pero magsumbong sila, isumbong nila ang tag-iya ani labina ug nag-invest sila ug wala sila nakadawat, wala natuman ang pasalig sa ila, pwede sila manumbong, mao na among hulaton, lain na sab na sya nga investigation," Bernales said.
The money however will not be returned immediately, as it will form part of the evidence against Kapa.
Lawyer Renato Egypto, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regional director in Northern Mindanao, meanwhile reminded the public that while the government is ready to help the victims, it is “not he insurer or guarantor of your bad investments".
Egypto said the public should be cautious before investing in a firm with suspicious offers. He explained that Kapa has no secondary license to issue unregistered securities in the guise of donation.
"Getting a secondary is easy, and if they are indeed legal, dili sila mahadlok mopailawom sa balaod," he said.
Egypto said there are many entities with the same nature as Kapa--that is, accepting donations, but they are not promising the public to accept a bigger amount in return.
"If we talk about donation, you do not expect something in the future because it is an act of liberality," he added.
"Ingon sila mutuo sila kay makadawat man lagi sila, but that is the point of Ponzi scheme. While naa pay tao nga musulod nga mohatag ang kwarta, naa gyuy madawat especially kadtong nakauna," he said.
"Ayaw himoa ug basehan intawon nga mutuo mo kay nakadawat si kuan, inyong amigo, ug uban pa, naa nay nakapalit ug sakyanan kay ang atong gitan-aw ang sustainability, dili ni siya maka sustinir nga klase sa scheme, dili mulungtad sa hangtod hangtod. If it's too good to be true, it's fraud," he added.
NBI agents on Monday, June 10, implemented a search warrant against the Kapa satellite office in Barangay Igpit, Opol, Misamis Oriental and seized membership forms, money, and other Kapa-related items.