By Nancy Carvajal
Society doyenne Maria Pacita “Baby” Cruz Vazquez has pleaded not guilty to charges of qualified theft stemming from her alleged embezzlement of P18 million from the family corporation of her late husband, Dr. Daniel “Danny” Vazquez.
Cruz entered the plea before a Makati regional trial court on Thursday (November 23). Her son, Alfredo Jose Cruz, who’s also her co-accused in the case, also pleaded not guilty.
The socialite, who’s the mother-in-law of former Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista, told Bilyonaryo she was “fine” after the hearing but declined further comment.
The qualified theft charge against Cruz was filed by Bellville Development, Inc.
The firm accused her and her co-respondents, including her late husband, who was the company chairman, of conspiring to steal P18.1 million from Bellville from 2014 to 2015.
The case was thrown out by the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office but Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla ordered the charges to be refiled in a resolution dated August 8 after finding probable cause.
“After a careful examination of the records of the case, this Office finds there is probable cause to believe that Respondents-Appellees Maria Pacita Cruz-Vasquez and Alfredo Cruz committed Qualified Theft,” the resolution issued by Remulla read.
In her defense, Cruz alleged that the amount she received from Bellville was a loan from the company.
In its complaint, Bellville alleged that the criminal act of qualified theft was committed when the late husband of Cruz-Vazquez, Dr. Daniel E. Vazquez, served as officer and chairman of the firm.
Remulla noted that the complainant alleged that Cruz-Vasquez and her co-respondents, including Dr. Vasquez, conspired from 2014 to 2015 “in the misappropriation of funds amounting to at least Eighteen Million One Hundred Seventy-Six Thousand Four Hundred Fifty-Four and 17/100 Pesos (P18,176,545.17).”
He said that Dr. Vasquez issued check vouchers and checks payable to Cash that resulted in the release of corporate funds to the respondents (Cruz-Vazquez, Alfredo Jose Cruz, and others.
Cruz married Danny in September 2016, five months after his wife, Maria Luisa “Dona Ising” Madrigal, died at the age of 88.
In May 2021, Danny’s daughter, Maria Beatriz, filed a parricide case against Cruz, claiming that the socialite killed her father by “intentionally exposing” him to the COVID-19 virus.
The charges had been downgraded to reckless imprudence resulting to homicide.
In the daughter’s complaint, Cruz allegedly not only brought masseuse, make-up artists, maids and butlers to their residence despite government prohibition, but also continued to attend gatherings and parties bringing along his 93-year old husband.
She also allegedly brought Daniel to various supermarkets in Taguig, Makati and Alabang amid strict guidelines by the Inter-Agency Task Force for citizens to stay indoors, particularly those in advanced age and have comorbidities.
Cruz fought back, claiming that her husband was insistent on going out on his own despite his frail health.
The daughter’s complaint was backed up by a judicial affidavit, by Danny’s nurse, Cyril Domingo.
Domimgo claimed that Cruz took her husband for grocery shopping two weeks before he died in April 2021 in the middle of the COVID pandemic.
In the same sworn statement, the nurse also said that Cruz only consented to bringing her husband to the hospital two days after he tested positive for COVID, despite declining oxygen level.
The nurse also submitted a monitoring report to the court which showed Daniel’s declining oxygen level.
“Noong April 1 po akyat- baba na po yung oxygen level niya. Bumaba din po yun hanggang 70. At nung umaga din po ng April 2 yung oxygen level po niya 79. Bale critical na yun…Eventually po pumayag po si Maam Baby na dalhin sa doctor sa hospital noong April 2, na po iyon,’’ said Domingo. Danny died on the midnight of April 3 and the cause of death was COVID.
