Innocentrix denies $44Mn fraud, claims only $2Mn in disputed deals
CEBU, PHILIPPINES — Cebu-based business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Innocentrix has strongly refuted allegations of a $44 million publishing scam, insisting the disputed transactions amount to just over $2 million.
The company’s legal team claims United States prosecutors have yet to provide evidence supporting the inflated figure while maintaining the innocence of detained executives Michael Cris Sordilla and Bryan Tarosa.
Disputed fraud amount at center of legal battle
Innocentrix’s legal spokesperson, Atty. Oliver Baclay, dismissed the 44 million fraud allegations as exaggerated, stating only $2 million in transactions were verified.
He explained that while $1.6 million covered completed contracts, customers had received a refund of $140,000, a move he claimed refuted allegations of criminal intent.
Baclay emphasized that the prosecution has not substantiated the $44 million figure despite a month-long investigation, leading to delayed trial dates.
“Our position is that there’s no criminal intent, no criminal fraud,” he asserted, pointing to the company’s refund policy and customer service accessibility as proof of legitimacy.
Company defends operations amid shutdown
Though Innocentrix has ceased operations, Baclay clarified that its closure was structural and unrelated to other imprints like WP Lighthouse.
External counsel Mark Opada confirmed all 30 to 40 affected employees received full severance, including 13th-month pay, with no labor complaints filed.
Opada also distanced Innocentrix from Sordilla’s other ventures, MSordilla Builders, MCS Studio, and Serene Oasis Resort, stressing their independence. The shutdown, he said, was a business decision, not an admission of guilt, as the firm fights to clear its name in court.
Scam allegations disputed as trial looms
United States authorities allege the scheme targeted elderly authors, luring them with false promises of book deals.
However, Baclay countered that only nine of over 800 authors filed complaints, with several refunded pre-trial. He denied targeting seniors, noting younger authors also used Innocentrix’s services.
With the trial postponed to August, Baclay expressed confidence in exoneration, urging media support to repatriate Sordilla and Tarosa.
The executives face 20-year sentences if convicted, but Innocentrix maintains the case hinges on unproven claims and misreported figures.
