Dermacare owner Chanda P. Atienza and admin and finance manager Venus Eunizel P. Gonda were apprehended by Malaysian authorities in August and arrested upon their return to the Philippines on Sept. 5, the SEC said.
From Batangas to Interpol
The SEC said their flight prompted a Batangas court in February to cancel their passports, which was followed by the International Criminal Police Organization issuing a red notice against the pair.
The passport cancellation later served as the basis for Malaysian authorities to apprehend Atienza and Gonda, who were facing criminal cases stemming from Dermacare’s alleged investment activities.
38 arrest warrants
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), in a separate announcement, said the two sisters were arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 at around 4:45 a.m. after arriving from Malaysia, with authorities serving 38 arrest warrants issued by courts across the country.
The warrants cover cases involving syndicated estafa, alleged violations of the Securities Regulation Code, bouncing checks and swindling, with four carrying no recommended bail and another involving the service of a sentence, according to the CIDG.
The remaining 33 warrants carry combined bail of P1.97 million and were issued by courts in Quezon City, Pasay, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Isabela, Pampanga, Cebu and Bulacan.
12.6% every quarter
According to the SEC, Dermacare allegedly enticed the public to invest through “franchise partnership agreements” promising guaranteed returns of 12.6 percent every quarter for 5 years, along with complimentary salon services.
The CIDG said the company was registered with the SEC for activities primarily involving beauty, skincare and related services, but available records did not expressly show authority to solicit or accept investments from the public.
The SEC filed criminal complaints against Dermacare and its officers in 2024 for alleged unauthorized securities sales and fraudulent transactions, while Atienza and Gonda separately face syndicated estafa charges.
The SEC, CIDG and other Philippine authorities coordinated with Interpol and Malaysian authorities in the operation that ultimately brought the sisters back to the Philippines to face the cases against them.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
