De Lima: Despite Legacy owner's death, depositors can still pursue civil case

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday assured depositors of banks under the collapsed Legacy Group of Companies that they can still pursue the civil case against the firm’s owner, Celso de Los Angeles, despite his death.   De Lima, however, said the string of estafa cases against De Los Angeles will automatically get dismissed under the Revised Penal Code.   "As to the criminal cases pending against De Los Angeles, the same shall now be dismissed as against him because, under the Revised Penal Code, the death of the accused extinguishes his criminal liability," De Lima said.   The Justice chief, however, added that while the criminal aspect of De Los Angeles' case will be extinguished, its civil aspect will not. "His death does not extinguish whatever civil liability he may have owed his alleged victims."   De Los Angeles was facing multiple syndicated estafa charges filed by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. for allegedly using rural banks under the Legacy Group to swindle at least P30 billion.   De Lima also said criminal case against De Los Angeles' co-accused will still proceed. "The criminal case against the co-accused may still proceed because only the criminal liability of the deceased is extinguished, not the crime itself," she said.    "Therefore, the prosecution of co-accused may still proceed in order to determine their respective participation in the scheme and their resulting liability," she added.   "This is especially true since the crime charged is syndicated estafa, which means all those charged as members of the syndicate are charged as principals," De Lima further said.   De Los Angeles on Wednesday died at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City due to throat cancer.  - Mark D. Merueñas/KBK, GMA News