A mother and her daughter who were former bank officers charged with large-scale estafa continue to elude justice.

Charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) with 19 counts of large-scale estafa under Presidential Decree No. 1689 and 19 counts of creation of fictitious loans in violation of Section 21 (f)(5) of Republic Act 3591 or the amended Charter of the PDIC before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Guagua, Pampanga, Branch 51 were Sylvia R. de Castro and daughter Mary Jane C. Acol, former Assistant Manager and Corporate Secretary and shareholder, respectively, of the closed Rural Bank of Sta. Rita (Pampanga). The cases were based on a complaint by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC), Liquidator of RB Sta. Rita, after the conduct of preliminary investigation. Both mother and daughter have remained at large as police authorities in Pampanga have been unable to serve their warrants of arrest to date. PDIC is requesting the public's assistance for any information that may assist in the arrest of de Castro and Acol. The public may contact the PDIC Investigation Department at the 9th Floor, SSS Bldg., 6782 Ayala Ave. corner V.A. Rufino St., Makati City or call (02) 841-4120, (02) 841-4124 or (02) 841-4125.

The RTC issued alias warrants of arrest against the accused on December 10, 2014 after the police reported that the original warrants issued have remained unserved. The 3rd Regional Public Safety Battalion of Pampanga is currently pursuing efforts to enforce the warrants of arrest against the accused.

Earlier, the DOJ has directed the Bureau of Immigration to issue a lookout bulletin against the accused to discourage them from leaving the country as well as to monitor their movements. The PDIC has requested the court to issue a Hold-Departure Order (HDO) against de Castro and Acol set for hearing on March 3, 2015.

The criminal charges alleged that de Castro and Acol conspired, from February 2005 to August 2006, to misappropriate, convert and divert funds of RB of Sta. Rita by creating 19 fictitious loans totaling P5.96 million, through the falsification of commercial documents, and diverting P4.2 million worth of the proceeds of the fictitious loan accounts to Acol's personal bank account.

The purported borrowers neither participated in the execution of the loan and commercial documents, nor received the loan proceeds of P4.2 million.

The accused filed an Omnibus Motion to remand the cases to the DOJ for preliminary investigation, and recall previously issued warrants of arrest or defer the issuance of warrants of arrest. On October 13, 2014, the RTC denied the accused's Omnibus Motion and directed the issuance of warrants of arrest against both de Castro and Acol.

PDIC is authorized to conduct investigations and file appropriate cases against erring bank officials and unscrupulous individuals. PDIC vigorously pursues legal action against erring bank officers, for the benefit of depositors/creditors and to protect the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF), PDIC's funding source for payment of insured deposits.

RB of Sta. Rita was placed under PDIC receivership in January 2009.

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