Owner of bankrupt Legacy Group Celso de los Angeles is sick with throat cancer.

De Los Angeles admitted his affliction to ABS-CBN News Thursday while confined at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. He however was not able to speak due to respirator tubes through his nose and through a hole through his neck. He could only write his messages and replies.

De Los Angeles said he has stage four throat cancer.

His lawyer Noel Malaya earlier confirmed to abs-cbnnews.com/Newsbreak that the businessman-turned-politician is in the hospital.

In an interview at the hospital lobby, Malaya belied speculations that his client’s confinement was an act.

“They can make speculations but the truth will really come out… Sa mga nagdududa na gawa-gawa ito...hindi naman basta-basta na lang magpapabutas ng leeg si Celso para maka-iwas lamang sa kaso,” said Malaya.

The current mayor of a town in Bicol is facing numerous syndicated estafa cases, reportedly over 50 filed nationwide, after 12 rural banks and 3 pre-need firms under the Legacy Group of financial services closed leaving hundreds of thousands of depositors and plan holders holding the bag. Regulators Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp, and the Securities and Exchange Commission have filed cases against De los Angeles, his family members, and former executives of the companies at the Department of Justice after documenting transactions that detailed how billions worth of public funds were siphoned off to companies controlled by De los Angeles.

Philip Piccio of PEP Coaliton, in an interview meanwhile, had this to say of de los Angeles: "While there is time, I hope he cooperates and helps government already in this matter, to bring back the money to the people."

This week, the Department of Justice conducted a preliminary investigation that De los Angeles did not attend. The government agency is tasked to find merit in and compile the cases filed by government regulators before a case is filed in the court.

Only when a case is formally filed in the court could De los Angeles and the other respondents be issued a warrant of arrest, hold departure order, or their assets attached.

Estafa is a non-bailable criminal offense.

Former SEC official Jesus Martinez was also absent in the preliminary investigation on Wednesday since he was reportedly recuperating from chemotherapy. In a Senate hearing, former Legacy officials said Martinez received a car and a house and lot from the Legacy group at the time the pre-need companies could not meet financial requirements set by the regulator. Martinez was overseeing the pre-need industry then. With reports from Maricar Bautista, ABS-CBN News and Carmela Fonbuena, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak