Court clears 3 men of power meter theft

CEBU – For failure of the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused, the Regional Trial Court cleared three men suspected of stealing an electric meter in barangay Zapatera six years ago.

In his 11-page decision, judge Bienvenido Saniel of RTC Branch 20 said there was no sufficient evidence to prove that Jose Zabate, Bernardo Suson and Aurelio Gabrillo stole an electric meter in violation Republic Act 7832 or the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994.

It was alleged that Zabate and Suson worked on an electric meter attached to a post of the Visayan Electric Company on December 14, 2002 while Gabrillo allegedly acted as the lookout.

One of the arresting officers, SPO2 Alex Dacua, said it was their commanding officer, Supt. Herman Lungayan, who directed them to proceed to Sepulveda St. to respond to an alarm of meter stealing.

There, they reportedly saw two of the accused allegedly tampering with the electric meter on a VECO post and immediately arrested them.

But Zabate told the court that he was only fixing the electrical connection of his client and that he has been bringing friends to assist him. He also said he has been an electrician for the past 20 years.

At that time, they reportedly discovered the problem was due to a power shortage, thus they asked the caretaker of the house if they could look at the electric meter. 

Zabate said they only looked at the meter and never touched it because he knew it was a violation of the law.

Zabate said it was actually one of the policemen, a certain SPO2 Ramon Lucero, who ordered him to detach the electric meter. The police then handcuffed him and his friends.

Suson, for his part, told the court Zabate brought him that time to assist in the job. Gabrillo, who was accused of being the alleged lookout, told the court he was merely sitting near the electric post waiting for his friends to finish fixing the electrical problem. – Jasmin R. Uy/JMO (THE FREEMAN)