PAROKYA Ni Edgar vocalist Chito Miranda defended his wife, Neri Naig, after she was reportedly arrested over allegations of estafa and violation of the Securities Regulation Code, stressing that she “never fooled” anyone.
In a lengthy post on social media on Wednesday, November 27, the “Harana” hitmaker stressed how Naig, an actress and an entrepreneur, has been treating people around her with fairness and compassion.
“Never nanloko si Neri, at never siya nanlamang sa kapwa. Never siyang kumuha or nanghingi ng pera kahit kanino man. Alam ng lahat ‘yan,” Miranda emphasized.
The Original Pinoy Music (OPM) singer shared that his wife is always willing to help others, to the extent that some individuals are already taking advantage of her kindness.
Case in point: the legal challenge his wife is currently facing.
“Tulad ngayon, endorser lang siya tapos ginamit yung face niya to get investors. Kinasuhan siya ng mga biktima,” Miranda explained.
What happened
On Facebook, the Southern Police District (SPD) reported that a 41-year-old actress and businesswoman, who goes by the alias “Erin,” was arrested at a basement convention center in a mall in Pasay City on Saturday, November 23.
She was arrested for estafa and 14 counts of violation of the Securities Regulation Code, also known as Section 28 or Republic Act No. 8799, which prohibits a person from buying or selling securities in the country as a broker, dealer, salesman, or an associated person of any broker or dealer if not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The SPD said that Branch 111 of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court set bail at P126,000 for each of the counts of Securities Regulation Code violation. The court, however, has yet to recommend bail for alleged estafa.
The police said that the actress-businesswoman is listed as the “seventh” most wanted individual at the station level due to her alleged violations. It added that the court has already issued a commitment order.
This came after showbiz reporter Ogie Diaz revealed in a video on YouTube that Naig was arrested by the Pasay City Police last Saturday for the aforementioned allegations. At the time, Diaz said further details about the arrest, including the identities of the complainants, were not clear as Naig has yet to address the issue.
In an ABS-CBN report, a jail officer confirmed that a certain “Nerizza Miranda” was transferred to the Pasay City Jail Female Dormitory on Wednesday noon.
Hopes for case dismissal
In his post, Miranda narrated that his wife was arrested without receiving any notice that a new criminal complaint was filed against her.
“Wala siyang na-receive na letter from the prosecutor, walang subpoena, walang kahit anong notice,” Miranda stressed.
He said that his wife had similar cases in other areas but were later dismissed. Miranda hopes the same thing would happen to the latest legal challenge Naig is facing.
“Wala siyang kinuhang pera sa ibang tao, lahat ng pera nila na kay Chanda, ang may ari ng Dermacare,” Miranda claimed.
“Sobrang bait po ni Neri… as in sobra,” he said. “Eto yung babaeng kinulong ninyo without bail, habang nakalaya pa yung mga tunay na may kasalanan.”
Several well-known personalities, including friends in the entertainment industry, expressed their support for Naig.
Former senator Kiko Pangilinan, on the other hand, offered help to the couple. He emphasized that Naig, as a product endorser, should not be held liable for the “illegal acts” of the owner and the management of a corporation.
“Nawa’y ma-dismiss o maibalik ang kaso sa piskalya para sa preliminary investigation at ma-lift o ma-quash ang arrest warrant,” he continued.
