Embattled bizwoman to sue trader, lawyer for cyberlibel, grave slander

LAWYERS representing Cebuana businesswoman Michelle Lim Go-Chu have filed charges against a businessman and his lawyer for defaming and portraying their client to be in cahoots with a couple over a multi-million peso estafa case in 2022.

Lawyer Estrella “Star” Elamparo, who represents Go-Chu, told reporters that they already filed charges for cyberlibel and grave slander against Kaiser Christopher Tan and his lawyer Francisco Amit Jr. before the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor on Monday, March 6, 2023.

Elamparo said they sued Tan and Amit for tainting their client’s reputation and subjecting her to trial by publicity.

Elamparo said the defamatory statement during Tan and Amit’s press conference on Jan. 27 and Feb.3 caused her client to fear for her safety.

According to Elamparo, Tan and Amit’s move to issue a P1 million reward for Go-Chu’s whereabouts was aimed to put her client in a bad light.

Through her counsel, Go-Chu said, “To have a bounty on one’s head and be tried publicly through the manipulative use of social media is worse than conviction. While the warrants may be quashed and the cases may be dismissed, I will not be able to live the rest of my life without strict public scrutiny. My reputation is now forever marred and my name is now marked as a criminal.”

Desperate

In a text message to SunStar Cebu, Tan’s camp said the filing of the cases was a “desperate move.”

“They are trying to twist the narrative by playing the victim card. It will never work as the public knows better. What is telling is that they are already quarreling among themselves. They sound desperate,” Tan’s camp said.

Also a victim

Elamparo said Go-Chu was also the victim of the scheme of Lorenzo Baltonado Jr. and his wife Jerlyn Joyce, owners of L.M. Baltonado Construction Inc. (LMBC), a business contractor based in Ormoc City that handled mostly government projects.

On Thursday, March 2, Go-Chu filed a complaint for large-scale estafa against the Baltonados before the Department of Justice in Manila.

In her complaint, Go-Chu said the Baltonados have yet to pay her back the P50 million that she lent to them.

Elampara said that aside from not paying the P50 million, the Baltonados also used Go-Chu’s name and checks without her knowledge.

Go-Chu’s checks were reportedly used by the Baltonados as a form of assurance for the couple to secure loans from other creditors, such as Tan and others.

According to her lawyer, Go-Chu started lending money to the Baltonados in 2018 since both were close family friends. The money that Go-Chu lent to the couple helped fund LMBC’s rapid expansion since business was booming that time.

Elampara said that initially, the couple diligently paid Go-Chu with interest but this ended when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.

“My client Michelle Go-Chu would issue the Baltonados checks to help them finance their projects. The agreement was they would pay her back within a short term and this went on without a problem until late 2021 to early 22 when the Baltonados defaulted on their payments and reassurances,” Elamparo said.

Go-Chu had instructed the Baltonados not to use her checks for third party payments. She even asked the couple to write their names or the name of their company as payee on the checks.

However, she admitted that her name was used on the checks in a couple of instances wherein she accommodated a request from the couple in order for Tan to invest in the venture.

But Go-Chu eventually discovered that the Baltonados continued to acquire loans using checks she provided.

Go-Chu immediately ordered the banks to stop payment, canceling the checks she issued, including those endorsed to Tan.

Later, the Baltonados filed for financial rehabilitation and declared bankruptcy.

Tan had filed several estafa charges against Go-Chu and the Baltonados for allegedly defrauding him of almost P200 million.

Though the estafa cases against the Baltonados remain active, Go-Chu’s participation in the cases has been gradually removed thanks to motions she filed in courts in the cities of Naga, Danao and Mandaue in Cebu and Ormoc in Leyte. The courts eventually dismissed the cases against Go-Chu due to lack of probable cause.

Though the arrest warrant issued against her by the Regional Trial Court in Toledo City has been suspended, Go-Chu is still waiting for the result of the reinvestigation conducted by the Toledo City Prosecutor’s Office.

Elumbra hopes Toledo City prosecutors will favor her client.