BEN SERRANO
Contributing editor
BUTUAN CITY - Now it can be told the Legacy’s Double Your Money investment scheme in three years have raked in a total of P1-B in cold cash from 684 investors ranging from the highs and the middle –class income bracket sector society in Caraga Region, Davao and Misamis Oriental provinces.
Caraga businessmen mostly wood traders, copra buyers, retirees, professionals, military and police and local government officials such as Mayors including congressmen, regional directors and religious leaders too allegedly a Bishop were reportedly to have invested more than P500-M, that is from Caraga Region alone.
The Catholic Bishop who allegedly invested substantial amount of money is reportedly close to President Arroyo.
The rest of the P1-B investments were from Davao and Misamis Oriental provinces including Cagayan de Oro City who invested from different sales or investment agents from Legacy offices in Surigao City, Butuan City and San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.
The Legacy regional office here claimed the investors invested to as low as P100-T to a million of pesos to as high as five to ten million pesos each.
Mrs. Cecil Cloribel Zamora, one of the independent division heads of The Legacy of Caraga Region based here in Butuan City told AFP it took her so many sleepless nights thinking ways on how to explain to her clients about the dire situation the company was experiencing.
She however requested in not naming names of the 684 client-investors for the moment saying they too are still suffering emotionally and trying to recover from it from uncertain ordeal which somehow embarrassed them since they are moneyed and most educated in Caraga society.
Zamora is one of the most awarded division heads of the firm The Legacy topping the investment sales and awarded once by Legacy President and CEO Celso Angeles himself as Top Division Head of the Year nationwide.
“It pains a lot when our Legacy head office in Makati announces last December 2008 that they have filed notice of dissolution and from there on I received many text messages from my clients”, Zamora added.
Zamora claimed that majority of the 684 Legacy clients were not hers but from different sales agents who traveled day and night to as far as Davao, Misamis Oriental, Surigao and Agusan provinces just to convince would be investors in a double your money in three years.
Zamora added that she joined Legacy in 2004 upon invitation of another Legacy investment agent then from Cagayan de Oro City who had direct contact with Legacy CEO Celso Angeles.
Before joining Legacy, Zamora claimed she is already a top executive of another pre-need company Rhine Consolidated Plans, sister company of sewing machine and appliance giant Rhine Marketing.
Zamora claimed she herself has invested more than P2-M to Legacy and is planning to file charges against Legacy itself if things won’t be settled.
“All I want now are moneys be back to me and my clients as I am telling the Legacy officials in Makati office that we are giving them until February 15 for these things be settled” Zamora said.
“What is at stake here is not only money but reputation that I build for many years,” Zamora told this writer in an exclusive, tape recorded interview at her office witnessed by her subordinates.
Zamora revealed it took her weeks of researching and background checks on Legacy and she found out it was SEC-registered, PDIC affiliated and is even registered with the Central Bank of the Philippines
“That’s why I was convinced and there on I started convincing people”, Zamora further adds.
Zamora concludes that as of now all 684 clients under her wing is now forming the Association of Legacy Caraga Claimants through the help of the Butuan City Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Zamora said some of the client-investors particularly smaller ones who invested their ultimate savings ranging from P100-T have been already complaining that their day to day living were already affected saying they don’t have money for their daily subsistence anymore as their savings were invested to Legacy.
“Some of the small clients who invested their savings have informed they already don’t have money to buy rice, I took pity as I understand their plight but I told them me too have no money anymore” Zamora said.
Zamora admitted she was able to meet President Arroyo at the Malacaňan Palace last January 20, 2009 wand there she claimed she was able to tell the President briefly her problem.
“She was busy at that time but I was able to relay to President Arroyo my problem briefly and she ordered Defensor (former DENR Secretary Michael Defensor) to talk to me”, Zamora concludes.