President's long-time publicist sued over bouncing checks

Controversial businessman Dante Ang, a long-time publicist of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was charged Friday before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office for allegedly issuing bouncing checks worth more than P6 million. The complainant, Dennis Cuyegkeng of New Manila, Quezon City, said that the checks were issued for the purchase of one million shares in Inglewood, a corporation engaged in publication, share and distribution of tabloids. Ang, along with Vilma Mabilangan of Inglewood Corp., was slapped with 10 counts of violation of Batas Pambansa 22, or the Bouncing Check Law, and estafa. Ang was appointed in 2004 by Mrs Arroyo as chairman of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. He also owns the newspaper The Manila Times. Cuyegkeng said Ang agreed to pay him P9 million as additional consideration for the sale of his shares in Inglewood and to settle the firm’s liabilities with Lanco Paper Products and Imagin Visual Communications Inc. He further alleged that Ang requested that Mabilangan be indicated as buyer in the deed of sale, which was executed in October 2003. The businessman said he agreed provided Ang issued postdated checks for the purchase of the shares. After the execution of the deed of sale, Ang paid P2.5-million in cash and issued several postdated checks. Ang also made payments worth P5-million to cover the months of November and December in 2003. However, Ang's subsequent checks covering February to May 2004 were allegedly dishonored after he ordered a stop to the payments. On May 2004, Ang denied he bought the complainant’s Inglewood shares. Mabilangan echoed Ang's statement and asserted that it was he who bought the shares. Cuyegkeng insisted that Ang was the real buyer and that Mabilangan admitted the same to him in September 2004. The complainant sent demand letters to the respondents to settle their obligations but they allegedly refused to do so. -GMANews.TV