MORE than 50 soon-to-wed couples have allegedly fallen victim to a wedding scam perpetrated by a Cebu-based coordination firm, Joshua Events and Party Services, with reported losses reaching over P11 million.
One of the victims, who messaged SunStar Cebu on Thursday, June 26, for an interview and requested anonymity, said that the firm, reportedly owned by Rabbie Arnejo and Kevin Niño Amistad, is now the subject of multiple complaints after it allegedly failed to deliver wedding services despite collecting substantial payments from clients.
She learned about the coordination firm through her sister, who was a classmate of one of the owners.
The victim had deposited a total of P80,000 to the firm.
The firm had also earned positive reviews online, which led her and many other couples to trust and book their services.
“Nagpasalig sila nga hatagan mi og kalidad nga kasal, apil ang booking sa hotel ug uban pang suppliers. Pero wala gyud mi nadawat nga serbisyo. Bisan ang reception venue sa uban, pencil booking ra diay,” the source said.
The victim shared that suspicions began to surface when other brides and suppliers started posting complaints online about unpaid dues and mismanaged weddings.
Matters escalated when the company posted a bankruptcy announcement on its Facebook page, only to delete the page shortly after.
Since then, the owners have allegedly gone missing.
Some victims have already filed blotters at the Labangon Police Station, while others have lodged formal complaints at the Lapu-Lapu City Hall and the Department of Trade and Industry.
A group of affected clients is also coordinating to file estafa charges before the National Bureau of Investigation.
As of this writing, no updates have been reported on the status of the filed complaints.
However, the victims are calling for immediate legal action, refunds, and stronger regulation to prevent similar incidents.
A partial list of alleged victim losses includes amounts ranging from P40,000 to P435,000 per couple. (CDF)