Deguito drove off with P20M after forging Go's signature

The internal probe by the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) into the alleged $81-million money laundering case found that Jupiter branch manager Maia Deguito not only set up bogus bank accounts under the name of businessman William Go.

According to Attorney Macel Fernandez-Estavillo, head of the RCBC's Legal and Regulatory Affairs Group, Deguito also forged Go's signature in withdrawal slips to drive away with P20 million taken from a questionable peso account.

Estavillo made the remarks before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and on the strength of a waiver issued by Go regarding his supposed bank accounts with the RCBC branch on Jupiter Street, Makati.

Go earlier denied owning the bank accounts, saying Deguito had told him that it was she who opened them.

"On February 5, substantial amount of funds entered Mr. William Go's account, $22.7 million entered his account. Between 6 to 7 o'clock in the afternoon, P20 million cash was withdrawn from his peso account," she said.

Driving off

A former customer service head of the Jupiter branch claimed that it was Deguito who took the cash, which was placed in her car and "drove off with it," Estavillo said.

The former customer service head, Romualdo Agarado, testified on his claim during the hearing.

Agarado said the withdrawal slip containing Go and Deguito's signatures was given to Jupiter branch senior customer relationship officer  Angela Torres, who then contacted the cash center.

An armored car carrying the cash arrived at the bank around 5:30 p.m. on February 5. He said the teller counted the money before it was brought to the office of Deguito.

Later, Agarado said he personally saw the cash placed in a paper bag being loaded into Deguito's vehicle.

He said it was Jovy Morales, the bank messenger, and Torres, who loaded the money into Deguito's car.

"Kitang-kita ko po kasi nakaupo po ako sa table ko fronting the main door of the branch. Glass lang po siya so kitang-kita sa labas even thought it's 6:30 or quarter to 7 (p.m.) already.  Yung ilaw po ay maliwanag sa loob ng branch. Personally, nakita ko," Agarado said.

Independent verification

Estavillo said Torres told bank investigators that the funds were placed in Go's Lexus SUV somewhere in Burgos Circle, Taguig City.

She added that Go supposedly was also asked to sign the withdrawal slips somewhere in the area.

"We have done independent verification and the addresses (of Mr. Go) are false (in the dollar and peso accounts). We did an internal verification and the signatures of his peso and dollar accounts do not seem to match his signatures in his other account in our Trinoma branch (Quezon City)," Estavillo said.

"With a high degree of certainty, the questioned signatures allegedly signed by one Mr. William S. Go were not signed by one and the same person and was therefore a result of simulated forgery," she added, reading the certification of the verifyer.

Estavillo said RCBC is planning to file perjury charges against Torres for falsely claiming that Go, a "valued client" of the bank, accepted the P20 million cash.  —NB/VS/JST, GMA News