Lakam Chiu’s family turns to volunteers as bail remains out of reach

Posted by ReyFort Media

The family of businesswoman Lakambini “Lakam” Chiu is turning to volunteers for help as they work to secure her release from detention.

Chiu’s father, William Chiu Jr., said the family has yet to come up with the amount needed to post bail following her arrest over allegations involving millions of pesos in company funds.

The 45-year-old is facing 124 counts of qualified theft filed by her sister, actress Kim Chiu. The case stems from alleged financial discrepancies involving a company in which the siblings are co-stakeholders, with the amount reportedly reaching around P44.4 million.

The Quezon City court initially placed Chiu’s bail at P5.8 million. Her lawyer later sought a reduction, resulting in a P200,000 cut that brought the amount down to P5.6 million.

William said the reduced amount remains difficult for the family to raise. Even the cash bond option, which would require roughly P2.9 million, is beyond what they can currently afford.

With the family unable to immediately shoulder the cost, volunteers have begun helping collect funds for Chiu’s bail.

Her legal team is also exploring another route to secure her release.

Lawyer Dominic Solis said they are working on a surety bond, where a bonding company guarantees the bail before the court in exchange for a non-refundable premium.

The court-set amount for the surety bond remains P5.6 million.

For now, Chiu remains at the Kamuning Police Station in Quezon City, where she has been detained since her arrest on Sunday. (N. Ramos/mb.com.ph)