THE Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Toledo City has junked the plea of a Cebu-based businessman to reverse its previous decision to suspend the arrest warrant issued against Cebuana businesswoman Michelle Lim Go-Chu, who has been charged with large-scale estafa cases.
In her four-page decision issued on Feb. 27, 2023, RTC Branch 59 Judge Judilyn Tapia-Menchavez of Toledo City has denied the motion for reconsideration (MR) submitted by the camp of businessman Kaiser Christopher Tan on Feb. 14 due to lack of merit.
The MR filed by Tan was in response to the court’s decision to recall the arrest warrant issued against Go-Chu, who has been charged by the former with large-scale estafa cases.
Aside from recalling the arrest warrant against Go-Chu, Menchavez also ordered the Office of the City Prosecutor of Toledo City to conduct a reinvestigation of the case and submit a report within 60 days.
On Jan. 23, the court issued a warrant of arrest against Go-Chu and Lorenzo Baltonado Jr. and his wife Jerlyn Joyce Baltonado for the charge of large-scale estafa filed by Tan.
More dismissals
Likewise, the estafa case filed by Tan against Go-Chu filed in Lapu-Lapu City was also dismissed by newly assigned presiding judge Ronald Caramba Tolentino for lack of probable cause.
In his seven-page decision issued on Feb. 27, Tolentino also ordered that the ex-parte motion for the issuance of a hold-departure order filed by Tan’s camp be rendered “moot and academic.”
The previously assigned Judge Ferdinand Collantes also found the case without merit and had asked Tan to respond.
But instead of responding, Tan resorted to filing a motion for Collantes to inhibit. Collantes denied there was any cause to inhibit but nonetheless voluntarily inhibited himself – hence the case was re-assigned to Tolentino, who now has also decided to dismiss it for lack of merit.
Apart from Lapu-Lapu, cases filed by Tan against Go-Chu in the cities of Naga and Danao in Cebu have also been dismissed by the courts for lack of merit. The case filed in Mandaue has also been dismissed, but it has a pending motion for reconsideration filed by Tan.