Alleged robber sues Theft and Robbery Section head

CEBU, Philippines - The man accused by police as one of the eight robbers who pulled off the heist at Fooda Savers Mart on Gen. Maxilom Avenue last March 9 has filed administrative and criminal complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against the chief of Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office.

Jose Roy Quimada filed charges for grave misconduct and for other violations of the code of professional responsibility and other pertinent laws and regulations, including subornation of perjury and falsification of documents against Insp. Mark Anthony Bastes last May 21 before the anti-graft office.

Quimada, 38, of Sta. Lucia District, Pagadian City, Dipolog also filed the same charges before the Regional Trial Court on May 8.

In March, police filed a robbery complaint against Quimada after two security guards of Fooda Savers Mart identified him as one of the eight robbers who barged into the store and took the vault containing more or less P100,000 lose coins.

Quimada, in his complaint, said that the proprietor of the said store is the sister of his very close friend Jaime Escalona, hence, “could not have possibly afforded to be sweepingly ruthless even to the sister of the person whose financial help assured his (Quimada) survival in the past.”

Citing his educational background and “on-going quest for additional academic credential,” Quimada said that logic would have brought Bastes to the perspective that “no bonafide law student in his right mind will ever venture in robbery.”

Quimada claimed to be an Accountancy graduate from the University of San Carlos and studied law in the first semester of school year 2007-2008 at the Misamis University in Ozamiz City.

However, Bastes said that as a police officer, he is not threatened by the complaint filed by Quimada against him. In his almost 20 years in service, he added that he is already used to facing charges before the Ombudsman. — Niña G. Sumacot/WAB (THE FREEMAN)