A Department of Justice panel yesterday issued subpoenas against officials of several banks affiliated with the Legacy Group to answer the criminal complaints filed against them by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for alleged fraudulent loans.

Provincial prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco, chairman of a panel tasked to investigate the Legacy fund mess, disclosed that subpoenas have been issued against 18 officers of Rural Bank of Para?aque, Rural Bank of DARBCI in South Cotabato, Rural Bank of San Jose in Batangas and Bank of East Asia. They were charged with 116 counts of falsification of public and commercial documents and two counts of false statements early this month.

The Justice investigation stemmed from the criminal complaints filed by the Bangko Sentral against 16 Legacy officers, employees and agents for 49 counts of falsification of public and commercial documents plus one case each of false reporting and false statement.

According to Velasco, prosecutors will hold simultaneous preliminary hearings starting next month in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

?We will set simultaneous hearings so that the complainants and witnesses will not have to all go here at the Justice office,? Velasco told reporters.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez earlier issued Department Order 84 designating more state prosecutors and prosecuting attorney to assist in the preliminary investigation of the case.

Joining the Legacy probe are State Prosecutors Irwin Maraya, Ma. Lourdes Uy, Nolibien Quiambao, Alexander Suarez, Hjalmar Quintana Jr., and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Agapito Fajardo.

Rosario Valencia, Angelita Ramirez and Bonifacio Ortega have been appointed as members of the secretariat.

Velasco also announced that the panel will start subpoenas against the owners and officers of Legacy Group led by businessman Celso de los Angeles Jr. in connection with the multi-million syndicated estafa charges filed against them by a group of investors.

A separate preliminary investigation will be set for the said case also starting first week of March. He said they are still in the process of gathering all the complaints against the Legacy Group.

Velasco said that De los Angeles and members of his family and officials of Legacy Group will not be allowed to post bail if they are indicted for syndicated estafa. Rey E.Requejo