By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) called on other victims of the rice investment scam to come out and file complaints at their office.

NBI-Bacolod head, Atty. Renoir Baldovino, said they had counted more than 100 individuals who have been victimized by the suspects.

The NBI has filed charges of syndicated estafa against the suspects identified as Krizia Gonzaga, Jennifer Nierves and their three companions, all residents of Bacolod City, before the City Prosecutor’s Office last week.

Baldovino said that 30 complainants have filed complaints before the NBI after being scammed, where they lost money amounting to P40 million.

Gonzaga and Nierves were identified as the principal suspects in the rice investment scam, he said, adding that some of the victims invested about P10 million and the lowest was P300,000.

The suspects promised them that they will earn 10 to 300 percent depending on the duration of their investment, Baldovino added.

He also said that the suspects claimed that they have five rice warehouses in Bacolod and were allegedly supplying rice as far as Negros Oriental to entice investors.

NBI-Bacolod head said the suspects have no business permit from the Bacolod City government and no registration from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

One of the victims, Mia Yosores, told the media that she initially invested P500,000 and got a return of P75,000 every three days, as promised by the suspects.

This convinced her to invest an additional P450,000 but she never got the additional promised return on investment (ROI).

Yosores said that she only got a total of P300,000 as ROI.

Baldovino said that some of the victims are still hoping that the suspects will return their money./DGB, WDJ