Ex-Capitol executive nabbed for ‘estafa’

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Alberto Nellas Jr. on Thursday said Lucille Pines, former head of the provincial government General Services Office (GSO), has no pending cases upon her retirement from government service last year.

But right after Pines retired, Nellas said a group of individuals, who are investors in her investment scheme, surfaced and furnished his office with administrative complaints against her.

Pines was arrested by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on April 17 during an entrapment operation in Brgy. Bata, Bacolod City for alleged estafa through misrepresentation.

Atty. Renoir Baldovino, NBI Bacolod chief, disclosed that Pines victimized several individuals with her alleged modus operandi by representing Sheen Consumers Cooperative and Homemakers Enterprising Association of Negros Occidental (HEANO).

Baldovino revealed that Pines, who cannot be reached as of Thursday, victimized 12 individuals who invested around P30 million.

According to the NBI, Pines allegedly offered between three to eight percent interest to convince her investors in financing the purchase of various materials amounting to millions of pesos.

Pines was required by the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office to file her counter-affidavit within 10 days in response to complaints filed against her by the NBI.

Considering that Pines has already been cleared by the provincial government, Nellas said they cannot do something about the administrative complaints filed against her.

But Nellas said that they have issued a show cause order to Sheen Consumers Cooperative because of Pines’s involvement with the cooperative.

He disclosed that they are now evaluating the answer of the cooperative, which always participates in competitive biddings at the Capitol.

On the other hand, the Department of Education-Schools Division of San Carlos City issued a certification dated April 11 that neither HEANO nor Pines had transactions or dealings with the office as a supplier, or contractor.

The division also did not authorize them to accept money from financiers for projects and supplies, Baldovino said.