ROXAS SEEKS ADD'L 15-DAY EXTENSION FOR FILING OF LEGACY CLAIMS

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to extend to April 30 its deadline for the filing of claims against Celso de los Angeles' Legacy group of pre-need companies.

Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade and commerce committee inquiring into the status of the pre-need industry, said the extension of the deadline will allow more Legacy educational, pension and memorial plan holders to submit their applications for reimbursements.

The SEC had already extended its March 31 deadline for the submission of claims on the Legacy trust fund by the companies' plan holders to April 15 on Roxas' request.

"Extending the period for the filing of claims against Legacy would mean a great deal to these plan holders-claimants who have already been much inconvenienced and distressed by the closure of the Legacy companies," he said.

He said a second extension is needed as many Legacy plan holders were held up by the long holiday brought about by the recent Lenten season.

Roxas sought an extension of the original March 31 deadline after belatedly learning that soldiers and police officers who bought Legacy pre-need plans are not aware that LCPI and its affiliated firms have already been closed down.

The matter was brought to the attention of the senator by detained Col. Ariel Querubin, who is himself an educational and pension holder. He asked Roxas to help disseminate the information on the filing of claims deadline and Legacy's financial status to the officers on the field.

Roxas has filed syndicated estafa charges against De los Angeles and other Legacy directors and officers along with six Legacy plan holders. He has also tapped a pool of lawyers to provide free legal advice to the victims.

The Senate trade and commerce and banks committees will resume its joint investigation into the Legacy fiasco and the status of the pre-need industry on Monday