A policeman assigned to the Cebu City traffic group was named respondent in the case for falsification of public documents and grave abuse of authority filed by an American before the Ombudsman-Visayas.
The case filed by couple Robert Corliss and Filipina wife Estela, against SPO1 Dionisio A. Galo, an investigator of the Cebu City traffic group, stemmed from a vehicular accident involving a passenger jeepney and the complainant’s car.
The couple claimed that Galo twisted the facts to make it appear that it was their vehicle that caused the road accident to happen at the junction of J. Panis Street and Gov. Mariano Cuenco Avenue in Banilad last March 19.
Corliss narrated that he was driving his Suzuki APV GLX car with plate numbers YDS-881 at 8:25 a.m. and stopped upon reaching the corner of the road waiting for the traffic to clear when his car was hit by a speeding PUJ driven by Ramil Misa.
Due to the impact, Corliss said his vehicle was dragged a few feet away to the right side of the road and sustained substantial damage.
He said the responding traffic enforcer drew a sketch of the place where the incident took place and the drivers of both vehicles were instructed to report to the traffic group office for investigation.
At the traffic group office, Corliss and Misa were investigated by Galo whom the foreigner described as arrogant and biased in favor of the jeepney driver.
Corliss complained Galo declared that he was the one at fault although it was very clear that it was his vehicle that was hit by the PUJ.
The foreigner requested Galo to change his findings, but the police officer insisted that it was him who caused the incident that forced him to pay P1,577.63 at the cashier of the Land Transportation Office so he could redeem his driver’s license.
But Corliss was surprised to see in the receipt of his payment that it was stated that he was fined P1,500 allegedly for “USE MV IN CRIME” that he interpreted it that his motor vehicle was used in the commission of a crime.
“This is preposterous and outrageous. I am the aggrieved party and I am the victim here because it was my car that was hit by the passenger jeep,” the foreigner complained to the Ombudsman. — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP