Missing background

JEERS TO The Philippine Star for not providing background information on a report involving an alleged pyramid scam queen.

Last Feb. 19, it reported that the Court of Appeals (CA) had affirmed the conviction of Rosario Baladjay, owner of Multinational Telecom Investors Corp. (Multitel) whom the press has dubbed as the “pyramid scam queen”, for being allegedly responsible for a phony investment scheme. The CA also gave Baladjay a longer prison term from four years to 13 years. (“Pyramid scam queen gets longer prison term”, Feb. 19)

However, the report did not offer enough background information about Baladjay’s case or why she has been given the title “pyramid scam queen”, other than the fact that the trial court had ordered her to be jailed and to pay two investors for an estafa case involving the Multitel investment scam in 2002.

According to reports, Baladjay, through Multitel, allegedly duped about about 900,000 investors including politicians and cabinet members of P20 million. She supposedly attracted investors by offering them outstanding monthly interests for their minimum investments as well as lavish incentives.