The Pasay City Regional Trial Courts has junked the charges of syndicated estafa and violation of Securities Regulation Code against actress and businesswoman Neri Naig-Miranda.
In a statement, the FLO Attorneys Law Office who served as Naig-Miranda’s counsel in the case said Branch 112 of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court dismissed the charges in an order promulgated on February 12 but only received Monday, March 3.
It said the dismissal “was upon the motion of the Office of City Prosecutor of Pasay City which found no probable cause to indict her upon reinvestigation sought by her counsel.
“Glaringly, the private complainants never alleged being defrauded by Miranda. More mind-boggling is that private complainants never asserted having personally transacted with or handed over money to Miranda,” part of the court order issued by Acting Presiding Judge Ronald August Tan.
“Therefore, the evidence presented indeed fails to establish that Miranda committed the crime of estafa, moreso, syndicated estafa,” the court added.
The law firm said another Pasay court, RTC Branch 111 presided by Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos also dismissed the complaint against Miranda for violation of Republic act 8799 or the Securities Regulation Code in an order promulgated on January 20.
“We thank the courts for clearing the name of Neri Miranda, who has unmistakably been falsely accused of wrongdoing in the Dermacare case. We hope that this issue will be put to rest as regards to Neri, so that instrumentalities of the law can focus on bringing the true perpetrators of the Dermacare scam to justice,” said lawyer Aureli Sinsuat, who is serving as co-counsel for Miranda in the case.
To recall, Naig-Miranda was arrested by the authorities in November last year due to 14 counts of violation of the Securities Regulation Code.
The warrant of arrest was issued for Miranda and six others on November 16, 2024 by Pasay RTC Branch 111. She was released from custody on December 4, 2024.
