A STORY OF MY UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE with JANICE LOZANO & ROQUE JUATCO JR.
by Nellie Vandt – July 29/2013
My name is Nellie Vandt. I’m a Filipino-Canadian who has been residing in British Columbia (currently in Delta), Canada for 20+ yrs now. I’m a single mom (widow) businesswoman taking care of my 2 children. I’ve been very involved in the Filipino community managing my businesses and producing shows before, and by being an active member of different non-profit organizations.
I always want to help empower Filipino immigrants achieve a better life in Canada and I’m concerned when I hear about people taking advantage of others in the community. I think we have to stand up and do something about it to help others thus after much painful thinking, I finally decided to write this.
The main part of this story (my missing expensive sound system) I tried to report to Surrey RCMP in late 2012 and was referred to Richmond RCMP. After my conversation with Cst. A. Matibag, I was advised to go to Civil Court instead. Upon research and discovering though that through the years, these people have many court records (see PDF & images below), I thought that it would be futile to go that route, spend more money and go through more stress and pain. I know I may not get immediate justice anymore but that I can still help others inside and outside my community by giving them information that may assist them before dealing with these people in the future.
Court Cases Search Result for Juatco Roque & Juatco Roque Jr.:
PDF of Court Cases Search for “Erlinda Juatco”
Back in mid 90’s, I met ERLINDA (a.k.a. Erly) JUATCO (Roque Juatco Jr’s mother) when she solicited for me to advertise in the newspaper called the Philippine Chronicle – later changed to PHILIPPINE ASIAN CHRONICLE (Philippine Asian Chronicle Website (Update: the website “www.philippineachronicle.com” has been taken offline since the story’s original writing, so a link to the Philippine Chronicle Facebook page has been provided instead). I advertised in their paper for many years with my companies, Adanac Food Importers Ltd, Aling Pining Foods and Video Rentals, and later with Broadway Fusion formerly known as Saigon Fusion.
I became very close with the elderly JUATCO couple during this time throughout the 90’s up until the late 2000’s. Erly would even asked to use my credit card number to pay for the printing of their newspaper. It seemed we were friends and I trusted them. In our culture, it is not uncommon to trust people this much- we are very trusting people, especially to our relatives and friends. I have more than paid for advertising they did for me up to that point by paying for the printing of the Philippine Asian Chronicle issues whenever Erly asked.
At one point years ago, Erly and Bodeng Juatco came to my house personally and Bodeng begged for me to advance them money to help them save their house. I helped them out by advancing them around $25,000.00 in checks and cash.
Later, I got to know ROQUE “Rocky” JUATCO JR. (Erly and ROQUE “Bodeng” JUATCO SR’s son) and his wife JANICE LOZANO (a.k.a. Janice Juatco, a.k.a. PINOY BUZZ). At some point Roque Juatco Jr. and Janice Lozano came to my office and proposed to start a business called Pacific Rim and asked me to lend them a total of around $30,000.00. I lent them this money over a short period of time in cash and checks which were not gifts but loans that are expected to be paid back, but once I gave them the money I did not see them any more.
They did not start the business. They did not make any attempt to pay me back. They stayed away from me and did not contact me. Whenever I would see them in the community they would hide from me. They couldn’t look at me in the eyes. They stayed away for many years.
In 2010, they produced a show called Pinoy Buzz (Pinoy Buzz Website – Update: the website “pinoybuzz.net” has been taken offline since the story’s original writing, so a link to the Pinoy Buzz Facebook page has been provided instead) on Shaw Cable 116 (which stopped airing in summer 2012.) In late 2011, they started to come around my life again by associating with my then 16 yr. old daughter, Fani. They gave my daughter the impression that through their show and connections they can do a lot of things for her interest in singing and modeling career. For the love of my daughter, I decided to give them another chance and we started to talk again. They talked about producing musical shows themselves.
At that time, I had a large concert Adamson speaker system that I used for some of the live shows I produced. It was worth (estimated) around $40,000.00 dollars used – $80,000.00 when purchased new. This package of speakers consisted of 16 Adamson speakers, 8MH-225 mid-high cabinets and 8 B-218 double 18” subwoofers as well as 2-DJK 16 RU rack space with wheels which contain 2 crown MA-2404 power amps, 2 Crest Audio 7001 power amps, 2 QSC EX 1250 power amps and 2 BSS FDS 340 crossovers.
As I am used to helping a lot of people, I offered that they could take my sound system and store it at their Pinoy Buzz studio at 138-11860 Hammersmith Way Richmond, B.C. – with no money down and just to pay me when they rented it out and they agreed verbally. Roque Juatco Jr., Janice Lozano, Rhoel Juatco, Barry Ambrosio and Fani Vandt picked up my sound system from my friend Ed Pangilinan’s house. When they picked up the sound system, I handed Janice a contract. She said she could not commit to the payments on the contract so we agreed that they pay me only when they rent it out.
A little later around that same time, an issue revolving them and a young tourist from the Philippines named Barry Ambrosio who became a friend to me and my daughter had cause my eventual falling out with Janice Lozano and Roque Juatco Jr. That’s when I decided to get my speakers back. Janice texted (see text image below) on October 20, 2011 telling me they would bring my speakers back. I told her to let me know when they can drop off at my storage. Janice never did.
As I also got busy, the speakers remained at their studio for many months and thinking that since they already owed me $30,000 there would be no issue with storage fees and that my speakers would be safely stored there in the meantime.
Around November 2012, a shocking news came to me that my Adamson speakers were not in the Pinoy Buzz Studio any more and that they are at a Pawn shop in Surrey called Cash Converter-Guildford.
I knew the pawnshop wouldn’t deal with me. I wasn’t sure which speakers were pawned and missing. I knew I needed to get in touch with Janice Lozano first but her cellphone number was already out of service so I decided to ask for help from JOJO QUIMPO, a community leader who is a close friend, associate and supporter of both Janice Lozano and Roque Juatco Jr.. Jojo Quimpo is the leader of the so called Hirit Family which include Janice Lozano & Roque Juatco Jr. among others. Jojo is also the founder of Pinoy Fiesta, and the head organizer of the Pinoy Fiesta Vancouver event (Update: the website “pinoyfiestavancouver.com” has been taken offline since the story’s original writing, so a link to the Pinoy Fiesta Facebook page has been provided instead), which is fully supported by both the Philippine Asian Chronicle and Janice Lozano’s Pinoy Buzz. I’ve been told that he is also a partner of Janice Lozano and Roque Juatco Jr. in a production business venture called Pinoy Rock Entertainment a.k.a. PRE (Update: the Facebook Page “www.facebook.com/PinoyRockEntertainment” has been taken offline since the story’s original writing, so a link to the Pinoy Rock Entertainment YouTube Page has been provided instead) and Hirit Production. I texted Jojo on Nov. 1, 2012 but I was disappointed that during our conversation he gave me advice that seemed like he wanted me to keep quiet about looking for my speakers (portion of text image and full PDF below). He talked about not allowing our own personal issues to further our own agenda. Personal issues? I’m trying to get back my $40,000.00 sound system and he is talking about personal issues? This is not personal. What agenda? I just wanted my speakers back and I thought that since he is a community leader I hoped he would mediate and facilitate the return of my speakers since I told him what was going on.
PDF of Jojo Quimpo text messages with me.
Later, I was able to get Janice Lozano’s new phone number though and texted her. Janice kept giving me the runaround on text messages (see image below) without admitting that my speakers are in a pawn shop now. Instead she told me “to get legal advice” and “to get legal advice, period” and to not text her anymore.
PDF of Janice Lozano text messages with me.
(Before writing this story, I texted Jojo Quimpo again just lately last July 24, 2013 and realized his opinion about this never changed, in fact, he referred to the issue about my speakers and Janice Lozano as “tampohan” or in English – “sulking”) and all the more that it disappointed me.)
The ending result was this. Even though:
- I sponsored their family business (The Philippine Asian Chronicle) for many years;
- I helped Roque Jr.’s parents by advancing them $25,000.00 to save their home;
- I loaned Janice Lozano and Roque Juatco Jr. $30,000.00 to open a business, which was never paid back;
- I let Janice and Roque Juatco Jr. use my $40,000.00 Adamson speaker system to rent out with no money down;
After all these they still decided it was okay to pawn my speakers off and keep the money they got for them and not even tell me about it.
Janice Lozano said she tried to contact me. I’ve had the same cellphone number for more than 10 years so they could have contacted me by phone any day at any time. They know where I live. Janice Lozano said she texted me, emailed me. I would like to see these, but regardless, that is no excuse to pawn the speakers they do not own in the first place at the same time owing me $30,000.00.
Janice Lozano and Roque Juatco Jr. were so kind, considerate, respectful, with nice manners, smiley faces, full of flattering comments, all sorts of acts of grandeur when they were after my money.
But as soon as they realized I wouldn’t give them any more money and wanted my speakers back, they immediately walked away, gave me a cold shoulder, ignored me, twisted the story to work against me and, worst of all, made up stories about my daughter. Janice Lozano texted (link #5 Janice starting to threaten) me that she will divulge such stories about my daughter if I don’t keep quiet about my speakers. I would like to hear her made up stories in trying to damage the reputation of my then minor daughter as I suspected it was just an effort to cover up what really happened between their dealings with the visitor they invited to come here: Barry Ambrosio (and I really hope that Barry, upon reading this, will come out with his own unfortunate story dealing with Janice Lozano and Roque Juatco Jr.)
Now, I heard that I am not the only one who suffered this much from this couple and some members of this family. Some alleged stories happened decades ago and other alleged stories only recently, but those stories are not mine to tell. Hopefully, they all come out on their own after I did. If I had known about those alleged stories before, maybe I wouldn’t have lost so much money and could have avoided the pain and agony that my daughter and I suffered from dealing with these people.
Thank you for reading my story. I hope this helps you and the ones you care about avoid unfortunate experiences like this happening to you in the future. Please do your research. Do not be fooled by all the lies, promises, and grandstanding by these people and their blind supporters.
A friend told me that eventually wrongdoers are exposed at the end of every story. When that time comes I will be happy to know I have done my share.
Sincerely yours,
Nellie Vandt
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