ROXAS SEES CONSPIRACY IN LEGACY OWNER'S CONDO STAY
DEMANDS DISCLOSURE OF CELSO DE LOS ANGELES' REAL MEDICAL CONDITION

Liberal Party vice presidential race frontrunner Sen. Mar Roxas today condemned what seems to be a conspiracy to allow Legacy scam mastermind Celso de los Angeles to evade the long arm of the law and escape liability for the misuse of hundreds of millions of pesos in pre-need premiums and bank deposits.

Roxas, who spearheaded a Senate investigation into the questionable collapse of the Legacy group, demanded an explanation from the doctors at the St. Luke's Medical Center why De los Angeles was allowed to live outside of the hospital despite the arrest warrant issued by the Cagayan de Oro regional trial court.

He also called on acting Justice Sec. Alberto Agra to make sure his department handles this matter fairly and in accordance to the law, not unlike his predecessors.

"Ang dapat paglagyan ng pasyente ay ospital. Ang dapat paglagyan ng kriminal ay piitan. Kung hahayaan natin ang modus na ito, baka mamaya nasa isang hotel na si Celso, o baka naman nakapang-ibang bansa na (A sick man's proper place is in the hospital. A criminal should be behind bars. If we allow this modus, then sooner or later Celso will already be billeted in a hotel, or worse, already out of the country.)," he said.

"Niloko't ninakawan na ang mga planholders. Hindi tayo papayag na muli silang lolokohin (Planholders have been fooled and their dreams stolen from them. We will not allow that they be duped again this time)," he stressed.

De Los Angeles is facing a string of syndicated estafa charges before various courts. The CDO regional trial court had placed him under hospital arrest after doctors at the St. Luke's Hospital said he needed medical attention for his late-stage throat cancer and could not be detained in jail.

Roxas noted reports that the Cathedral Heights Condominium where De Los Angeles is currently staying is not an extension of the hospital. The upper floors of the multi-story building houses doctors' clinics, one of which the Legacy owner is allegedly renting from one of the hospital doctors.

"Imbes na beybihin nila itong si Celso de los Angeles, dapat hayaan nilang mapatupad ang batas. Malinaw na malinaw ngayon ang kuntsabahan, at di natin tatantanan ito (Instead of treating Celso de los Angeles with kid gloves, they should let the full force of the law take its place. The conspiracy is very clear, and we will be vigilant against this)," he stressed.

He insisted De Los Angeles should be immediately sent to jail and no longer be allowed to use his medical condition to escape detention.

CDO regional trial court Judge Flor Abu on Wednesday checked on De Los Angeles to find out if he could now be transferred to a jail in Cagayan de Oro City. Abu has yet to announce his decision.

Roxas vowed: "Sa administrasyong Aquino-Roxas, pantay-pantay ang batas, mayaman o mahirap. Hinding-hindi namin papayagang paikutan ng mga tusong negosyante na tulad ni Celso ang batas (The Aquino-Roxas administration will enforce the law equally, whether to the rich or to the poor. We will not allow devious businessmen like Celso to escape from the law)."