PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Archie Gamboa on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, ordered the creation of a special task group (STG) to address the concerns of the victims of the Kapa-Community Ministry International (Kapa) investment scheme.
Gamboa issued the directive to Caraga Police Regional Office Director Joselito Esquivel Jr. a day after Kapa founder Joel Apolinario and 23 others were arrested in Lingig, Surigao del Sur.
“I know this will be a great task on the part of PRO 13 but ang sa isip ko kasi kung hindi natin pangungunahan ito of course there will be a lot of questions so we create a special task group just to answer all the questions in the future kasi siyempre marami rin argabyado,” Gamboa said in a virtual press conference.
Gamboa said part of the STG’s task is to track the other individuals, particularly government officials and police and military personnel who were involved in the scam.
“The Special Task Group is also there to investigate kung sino ‘yung mga kasali dito. ‘Yung sinasabi nila na members ng hindi lang ng kapulisan or ng AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), Lahat ng member ng gobyerno,” he said.
“And probably through the interview we are going to conduct on the 23 personalities that have been apprehended then baka puwede sila magsalita to help us on this and then kung meron man mga kasamang mga nasa gobyerno and evidence warrant that cases may be filed against them then we do so,” he added.
Charges against Apolinario stemmed from the complaint filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Kapa in 2019 for the alleged unauthorized sale or offering for sale or distribution of securities to the general public.
The SEC revoked Kapa’s certificate of registration and secured over P100 million of its assets in accordance with the asset freeze order issued by the Court of Appeals.
Kapa was charged with violation of Republic Act No. 8799, or the Securities Regulations Code, for enticing its members to invest a minimum of P10,000 in exchange for a 30 percent monthly return for life.
Following the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to close all Kapa offices, the National Bureau of Investigation raided at least 13 Kapa offices from various parts of the country in 2019.
Kapa started operations in 2017 in Bislig, Surigao del Sur and expanded across Mindanao before reaching the Visayas and Luzon.
Police served an arrest warrant for syndicated estafa and a search warrant against Apolinario early morning of July 21, 2020.
A shootout ensued, killing two men and wounding another. Apolinario and 23 others were arrested while 49 firearms of various caliber and assorted rounds of ammunition were seized. (SunStar Philippines)