Embassy told to find out root of Amalilio snafu

MANUEL AMALILIO Contributed photo

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs ordered the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia on Saturday to find out why local authorities in Kota Kinabalu stopped the deportation of Manuel Amalilio, the alleged brains behind a P12-billion Ponzi scheme that duped thousands of investors in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, the DFA spokesperson, said that officials at the Philippine mission in Kuala Lumpur were told to get to the bottom of the incident and ensure Amalilio’s return to Manila to face his alleged victims.

“The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has been instructed by the DFA to find out why the deportation of Mr. Amalilio did not push through as scheduled and to coordinate with the Malaysian authorities for its early implementation,” Hernandez in a statement sent to reporters by text.

Malaysian authorities on Friday stopped the deportation of Amalilio, president of the fraudulent Aman Futures investment company, just before he boarded a flight to Manila while in the custody of National Bureau of Investigation agents at an airport in Kota Kinabalu.

Philippine Embassy officials worked with the NBI throughout the deportation process.

Amalilio had been arrested Tuesday for carrying “fake Malaysian documents.”

Philippine authorities were surprised at the turn of events, but officials assured Aman victims that Amalilio will be promptly flown back to the Philippines to face prosecution.

Some 15,000 individuals, including government officials and other “VIPs”, had invested in Amalilio’s firm, some their life savings, only to lose their money to the scheme.