Convicted American felon Timothy J. Desmond allegedly attempted to take control of a major tourism facility inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone on 8 April.
Desmond, who previously served time in the Philippines for falsification of documents and perjury, arrived at Camayan Beach Resort leading a convoy that included two Philippine National Police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) vehicles, several private cars, and a pickup truck carrying masked individuals.
His group, through individuals allegedly posing as officers of Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium Inc. (SBMEI), demanded entry to take over the facility.
However, the group reportedly had no court order, writ, or coordination with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
SBMEI president and CEO Robert Ianne Gonzaga rejected Desmond’s claims to authority.
“Desmond directly owns only 1 percent of SBMEI. The block of stockholders he claims to represent… is locked in active litigation in the United States against him… He has no right to exert any authority over this company,” Gonzaga said, adding that Desmond and his group had already been banned from SBMEI properties.
Despite this, IMEG Captain Isabel Cabotage reportedly led the police contingent into the Freeport Zone alongside Desmond’s convoy, saying they were inspecting reports of PNP presence at the resort.
Gonzaga questioned the justification, pointing to the presence of Desmond’s associates and masked individuals.
He described the incident as an attempt to use state forces to carry out an illegal corporate takeover.
Tensions escalated at the gate when one of Desmond’s associates, identified as Roiben T. Baun, allegedly threatened SBMEI head of security Brando Agao, saying, “Magkikita pa tayo.”
Another associate, Eva Ragadio, was also reported to have confronted an employee and pressured the individual to step out of a vehicle.
Gonzaga also raised concerns over Desmond’s continued presence in the country.
“We know that he is currently facing a Bureau of Immigration deportation complaint… He has pending complaints in the Philippines and the United States. So we have to ask: how can this foreigner be issued a visa?” he said.
He further flagged what he described as a breakdown in coordination, saying PNP-IMEG entered the Freeport Zone without informing SBMA authorities, potentially putting guests and employees at risk.
SBMEI has reported the incident to the SBMA Law Enforcement Department and PNP Morong, and is preparing criminal complaints against Desmond and his associates.