Mary Ann Maslog, once thought dead, has resurfaced in the public eye following her arrest by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on September 25, 2024. Maslog, who gained notoriety for her involvement in the infamous 1998 textbook scam, faked her own death in 2019 to evade prosecution. However, her recent arrest for a new scam, involving fraudulent investment schemes under the alias “Dr. Jesica Francisco,” has revealed that she has been living under a false identity.
The 1998 textbook scam, in which Maslog was a key figure, involved a P24-million contract to supply books to the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS). Maslog, along with other officials, was charged with graft for allegedly forging documents to secure payments from the government for materials supplied by Esteem Enterprises, a company she represented. In 1999, she was also implicated in an attempt to bribe a government employee with P3 million to expedite the release of funds for a P400-million book deal.
Maslog’s case took another twist when, in 2019, her lawyer reported her death, leading to the suspension of legal proceedings against her. However, NBI investigations revealed that she had fled the country and continued to commit fraud, including a recent scam where she defrauded individuals of around P8 million through a supposed water systems and medical supplies project in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
This new chapter in Maslog’s story exposes a broader pattern of financial crime that extends beyond the 1998 scam. She, along with her spouse, has reportedly committed multiple financial offenses both in the Philippines and abroad. Her recent capture marks the continuation of legal actions against her for various charges, including falsification of public documents and violations of the anti-alias law.