Gov't should do a similar investment scheme to help the poor —Kapa exec

An official of the KAPA-Community Ministry International Inc. on Sunday urged the government to offer the public a similar way to invest money as what they have supposedly been doing to help poor people.

This was amid the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to the NBI and the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to stop the operations of Kapa Ministry.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Danny Mangahas, convener of Ahon sa Kabuhayan Movement of the Kapa Ministry, maintained that there is nothing irregular about their investment scheme.

"Kung titignan natin, ang pagkakamali ng SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), kung kami ang nagpapahiram ng tulong doon sa miyembro, nagpapautang sa miyembro, naniningil kami, 'yun ang bawal," he said.

"Pero baliktad nga po. Ang nagbibigay nga rito ay 'yung miyembro. Binabalik lang ng aming Pastor Joel Apolinario bilang tulong doon sa bawat miyembro namin," he added.

On February 14, the SEC issued a cease and desist order against Kapa after it found substantial evidence that the organization offered and sold securities in the form of investment contracts and in the guise of donations, even without the necessary licenses.

In March, the SEC made permanent its cease and desist order (CDO) against Kapa to stop soliciting investments without the proper license.

This month, the SEC said it intends to file criminal charges against Kapa as it continues to accept financial investments while its necessary permits have been revoked by the regulator.

But the fact that the NBI and CIDG have not filed a single case against officials of Kapa only proves that what they have been doing is not illegal, Mangahas said.

None of their five million members also complained, he added.

READ: No private complainants vs. Kapa yet, NBI admits

"Kailan ba naging masama ang isang religious organization na gusto lang magbalik at tumulong sa mga mahihirap? Kaya dapat maintindihan nila 'yan," Mangahas said.

"Dapat nga po gawin ng gobyerno 'yung ganitong uri ng scheme, ganitong uri ng pormula na nakakatulong sa mahihirap," he added.

Mangahas said an in-depth investigation into the issue should have been held first before the President called for the organization's shutdown.

"Kung sa tingin nila may mali, magkaroon na lang muna ng investigation, hindi kaagad ipapasara. Hindi naman kami tinatanong, hindi nag-imbestiga muna. Nasaan ang due process doon?" he said.

"Minsan na lang kami makakita ng tutulong sa amin, hindi na nga namin iaasa sa gobyerno 'yung mga pangangailangan namin, e kokontrahin pa," he added.

The Court of Appeals issued a freeze order this month on several bank accounts and other assets of the ministry.

Duterte apologized to the people victimized by Kapa and insisted the company will still have to be shut down.

Investors meanwhile waited outside the closed doors of Kapa's headquarters in Alabel, Sarangani on Friday, hoping to get their "donations" back. —Erwin Colcol/KG, GMA News