Ex-radio station manager nabbed for qualified theft

By Paulo Papa

A former FM radio station manager and broadcaster who later on became one of the campaign coordinators of presidential candidate Bong-Bong Marcos (BBM) in Camarines Sur was arrested by police authorities in Naga City on Sunday, May 22 by virtue of warrant of arrest issued by a Regional Trial Court (RTC).

A report by the Naga City Police Office (NCPO) identified the former radio personality as Maria Victoria Gumabao, 54, former station manager of Home Radio.

Gumabao was arrested by virtue of a warrant issued by RTC Branch 62 Judge Jeaneth Cortez Gaminde-San Joaquin for 27 counts of Qualified Theft and three counts of Qualified Theft Through Falsification of Public Documents based on the criminal complaints filed by Gumabao’s former employer, Aliw Broadcasting Corp.

The criminal cases against her are docketed as 2022-0238 to 2022-0245, 2022-0250 to 2022-0268 for Qualified Theft, and 2022-0247 to 2022-0249 for Qualified Theft Through Falsification of Public Documents

An employee of Home Radio who requested that his name be withheld for lack of authority to speak on the matter, said that Aliw Broadcasting Corp., owner of Home Radio, filed the complaints against Gumabao, accusing her of pocketing thousands of pesos representing payments from several block timers, which were not remitted by Gumabao to the company.

Because of these allegations, the radio station terminated the services of Gumabao in 2021. She later transferred to Bossing FM as a program host and later on joined the campaign team of BBM in Camarines Sur.

As of Tuesday, May 24, radio reports said that Gumabao already posted bail and released from police custody. Based on the warrant of arrest, the court recommended bail of P30,000 for each count of qualified theft and P40,000 for each count of falsification of document.

The NCPO tagged the suspect as Most Wanted Person No. 8 (Station Level).

Gumabao, 54, of Barangay Cararayan, Naga City and originally from Batac, Ilocos Norte, aside from her stint in Home Radio, is also the former station manager of the following media outlets: IDOL FM 105.5/GNN TV Naga; PBN PTV5 Naga City; and 97.5 OK-FM Naga.