Who is Jason Go? Trader wanted Deguito in RCBC Jupiter

MANILA – Senator Teofisto Guingona III on Thursday quizzed officials of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) on how Maia Santos-Deguito ended up in the the bank's Jupiter, Makati branch.

Deguito was put under the spotlight after it was discovered that four accounts whose holders were found to be fictitious were used in moving into the Philippine banking system $81 million stolen from the central bank of Bangladesh's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The four accounts, opened in May last year, remained dormant until February 5 this year, when $81 million was infused into them.

The funds were later consolidated into the account of businessman William Go, who has denied knowing anything about the account.

The money eventually ended up in Solaire Resort and Casino, Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co., and junket operator Weikang Xu, in what authorities fear is a clear case of money laundering.

During today's hearing, Deguito refused to reveal how she got acquainted with a certain Jason Go, who was described by RCBC president and CEO Lorenzo Tan as a car trader.

Sen. Guingona said he received information that Deguito was assigned to the Jupiter branch because of Go's recommendation.
He asked how a private individual such as Go was able to influence movements inside the bank.

Former RCBC retail banking group head Raul Tan said Deguito was supposed to be assigned to the RCBC Beacon branch in The Fort, but ended up in the Jupiter branch upon Go's recommendation to region head Bridgette Capina.

Maria Cecilia Fernandez-Estavillo, head of RCBC's legal and regulatory affairs, said Go is a valued client of the bank.

Tan, meanwhile, said Deguito, a former East West Bank employee, was assigned to the Jupiter branch because ''the impression was she had a lot of businesses in East West Bank and she committed to bring in substantial amounts of business."

"I think they have e-mails to prove that," Tan said.

Tan, nonetheless, asserted that RCBC is very professional on how it handles its organization.

''We receive résumés all the time. We pass it on to business heads and the hiring process goes through a vetting process,'' he said.