A business partnership between sisters Kim Chiu and Lakambini “Lakam” Chiu has turned into a legal battle, with Lakam facing 124 counts of qualified theft over alleged withdrawals and fund transfers amounting to approximately ₱44.396 million.
The complaint arose from their joint fashion business, House of Little Bunny Philippines Inc. (HOLB), after the Quezon City Office of the City Prosecutor found probable cause to proceed with the case filed by Kim.
In a resolution dated September 1, 2026, prosecutors identified 124 transactions involving withdrawals and online transfers from HOLB’s bank accounts that became the subject of the complaint.
The dispute reportedly surfaced in 2025 after Kim allegedly noticed unusually large movements of money from the company’s accounts. She reportedly confronted Lakam over the transactions, sought an explanation and demanded that the funds be returned.
The disagreement later deepened after some of the questioned transactions were allegedly linked to casino-related activities and other personal business ventures.
Lakam denied wrongdoing and argued that the transactions had been authorized. She maintained that, as a co-owner and corporate officer, she had the authority to transact using the company’s joint bank accounts.
She also disputed allegations that the money was used for gambling, saying instead that the funds were placed in a business venture associated with casino junkets.
Prosecutors, however, determined that the transactions allegedly involved HOLB funds being used for purposes outside the company’s business operations. The resolution also cited an alleged breach of trust in finding grounds for the qualified theft charges.
Meanwhile, a separate qualified theft complaint against Kim’s personal accountant, Helena Tayag, was dismissed by prosecutors after they found insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations.