Atty. Bander Set Up in Fake Sex Case …And How He Acquitted Himself with Honor and Dignity

1. PinoyWatchDog.com | Joel Bander Sex
Scandal Victim
Atty. Bander Set Up in Fake Sex Case …And How He Acquitted
Himself with Honor and Dignity
By Rene Villaroman with PWD Investigative Team
2/23/2012 1

2. On July 13, 2006, Atty. Joel Bander was in Manila
providing immigration consultation services
when he received an e-mail from Myrna Ang Tiu.
The e-mail stated that she desired an
immigration consultation for herself and seven
(7) friends with similar issues. Bander had
earlier advertised his consultation services in
the Los Angeles editions of Asian Journal, which
then and now is the largest Filipino-American
newspaper, and where he was then serving as
legal counsel.
2/23/2012 2

3. Based on a deposition made by Lotis Rosario, who was Bander‟s legal assistant in
Manila, a law student at San Beda College, who has since passed the Philippine Bar
and now serves as law clerk for the Philippines Court of Appeals, Ms. Tiu arrived a
few days later with only one (1) client who called herself „Christina San Jose.‟ Ms. Tiu
paid for „San Jose‟s‟ consultation fee of $100.
The meeting room was less than one meter away from the reception area. Ms. Rosario
recalled that during the meeting, she went into the consultation room to bring Mr
Bander tea. “Nothing unusual was happening; it was an uneventful consultation, with
Christina San Jose leaving the room smiling, almost laughing.” Little did Bander and
Rosario know at the time that „San Jose‟ was happy because she „thought‟ she had
made some quick money.
2/23/2012 3

4. Meanwhile, Myrna Tiu (this is her real name) then consulted with Atty. Bander about
processing her immigration visa. She made another appointment to meet Bander the
next day at the EDSA Shangrila Hotel to pay the retainer fee. But she did not show up.
Ms. Rosario recalled that when she called Ms. Tiu to inquire about her arrival, the latter
was “shocked” to find out that the legal assistant was also in the meeting to
accompany Atty Bander. Rosario thought the response was odd.
At that point, Bander considered the matter closed and flew home to Los Angeles. But
unbeknownst to both he and Ms. Rosario a devious plan had been hatched to make up
a sexual story to malign his good reputation.
2/23/2012 4

5. Then, in the July 27, 2007 edition of Manila Standard, a news report that “sex
charges” were filed against „consular officer‟ Joel Bander appeared, obviously paid
for by people out to ruin his reputation. That story was followed by another news
story in the August 5, 2006 issue of People‟s Tonight, written by Allan Begornia,
who called Bander a „trader‟ and claiming that charges were filed in Branch 73 of
the Taguig Trial Court.
But the real, hard truth is that there is no Branch 73 at the Taguig Court. And there
was never any case in the Taguig Trial Court, even though Balita Media, through its
obedient executive editor keeps repeating a baseless and non-existent „sexual
assault‟ case stories filed against Bander. The stories, by their inaccuracies, were
total fabrications and assuredly paid for, as is the rampant practice in some less
reputable newspapers in Manila and written by reporters with less than sterling
journalism ethics.
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6. But the real, hard
2/23/2012 6

7. A Manila investigator for PinoyWatchDog.com who interviewed People‟s Tonight
reporter Allan Begornia, admitted, after a few shots of hard liquor, that he was paid
about $200 to write the Bander sex scandal story, and whoever it was that approached
him to write the story really hated Bander with a passion. It was this highly trained
investigator‟s opinion that Begornia was an alcoholic. After this brouhaha reached
People‟s Tonight management, the tabloid made a retraction and fired reporter
Begornia.
A few days after September 8, 2006, Ms. Rosario, Bander‟s Manila legal assistant,
received a call from someone professing to be Christina San Jose‟s brother. He said
that the articles in the newspapers were all part of a plan to smear Joel Bander‟s name
in the Philippines and that the source of this campaign came from the U.S. The caller
further claimed that his „sister‟ was not paid, as promised, by this group. Hence „San
Jose‟ wanted to retract the false accusations against Bander.
2/23/2012 7

8. “This is a set-up”:
Amb. Raul Rabe
“It was obvious this was a setup from the start,” said Ambassador Raul
Rabe, who had worked with Bander organizing and helping Filipino World War II
veterans during the late 1990s, and has remained Bander‟s friend. “I wanted to
help Atty. Bander, who did so much for war veterans over the years,” Rabe said.
His law office in Manila initially undertook the legal representation of Bander, and
developed an overwhelming case demonstrating that the complaint was a fraud
and a set-up. However, even with his firm‟s influence, the rampant corruption in
the Philippines won the day until the Aquino administration came into office and
Bander was ultimately acquitted.
2/23/2012 8

9. His case was made even stronger when:
* „San Jose‟ provided a false address, an abandoned warehouse/factory space;
* Ms. Rosario still had the receipt of the person identifying herself as „Christina San
Jose‟. However, the signature on the Complaint Sheet at the fiscal‟s office was very
different than the one on the receipt.
Despite Balita‟s repeated and malicious publication of this story without regards for
responsible, truthful and ethical journalism, Bander had placed himself before the
court in the fall of 2006 by requesting a formal Reinvestigation, which the court
granted. He appeared at the Manila fiscal‟s office, but the “fictitious” „San Jose‟ did
not appear. “I was amazed how pathetic the Manila Fiscal‟s office looked,”
recounted Bander. “They did not even have a phone or a computer at their desks.”
2/23/2012 9

10. “Everyone Wanted a Bribe”
Rabe‟s law firm then filed a Petition for Review with the Philippine Department of
Justice in October 2007, with Bander further placing himself within the structures
of the Philippine Justice system, despite Rhony Laigo‟s claim that Bander was
“making a mockery of Philippine justice system.” After six months inquiries were
made and a meeting was set up through the assistance of a congressional office. “I
was quite surprised to be meeting with about four (4) Justice Department
officials, and a couple of congressional aides,” Bander recalls. “Then the bigger
guy showed up. I think he was head of finance. We ate and talked about the case. I
thanked everyone, paid for the food and left. Afterwards, my then attorney, Lloyd
Nonato, told me these officials wanted money too, about $3000. I was incensed, but
continued to refuse to pay these bribes.”
2/23/2012 10

11. In the meantime, Balita‟s executive editor, Rhony Laigo, was instructed by his
bosses, Anthony Allen and Luchie Mendoza-Allen, to fly to Manila and obtain a
Hold Departure Order from the Bureau of Immigration through the help of his
friends and former colleagues at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport beat. After
Laigo reportedly bribed his way to obtaining a Hold Departure Order, Bander‟s
lawyer, Lloyd Nonato obtained a personal appointment with the Immigration
Commissioner on October 29, 2009. He described to the commissioner how the
charges were fabricated and was a big hoax.
The commissioner directed Nonato to his aides, who asked for $4000 to lift the
HDO. “At this point,” Bander recalls, “I decided to wait for the end of the Arroyo
administration, as I will not pay bribes.”
2/23/2012 11

12. Aquino Wins
In August 2010, after Noynoy Aquino was elected president, Bander traveled to
Manila, and with the assistance of prominent attorney Sig Fortun the HDO was
removed without the payment of any bribes, and a few months later Bander was
acquitted by the trial court. “I want to state,” Bander said, “that at no time did
anyone from the court in any way ask for a bribe, nor did anyone even intimate
that I should.” Joel Lucanan was the Manila Trial Court judge. “From my few times
in court, Judge Lucanan treated everyone with dignity and fairness, even though
he was just handling minor matters,” Bander added.
2/23/2012 12

13. Atty. Sig Fortun told PinoyWatchDog.com, “I represented Atty. Bander as a
brethren who has helped so many Filipinos. I did not want him to think that Filipino
Justice is so corrupt.”
However, corrupt elements of the Philippine American Media that only wish
Attorney Bander harm continue to discuss this criminal case as if the underlying
facts have any basis in truth, or that Bander somehow was running from even a
corrupt criminal justice system.
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