Former PNP Crime Lab chief, 3 others face criminal raps

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and other Law Enforcement Offices indicted Retired Police Superintendent Myrna Areola and three others for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

After finding probable cause, Assistant Special Prosecutor III Pilarita Lapitan elevated the case to the court against Areola, PO3 Achilles Anthony Diola and private individuals Marcelino Tagalog and Marcelo Cabahug.

Lapitan said that while in the performance of their duties, Areola as regional chief and Achilles as laboratory technician of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory-7, committed gross inexcusable negligence by conspiring with Tagalog and Cabahug in the issuance of Macro-Etching Certificates (MEC).

The MEC contains the statement that the engine and chassis numbers of the vehicles are not tampered as of the date of issue.

Lapitan added that the issuance of a Philippine National Police Motor Vehicle Clearance Certificate and the registration of said vehicle from its previous owner Tagalog, who acquired it from Cabahug, to its new owner, spouses Cedric and Carmencita Ebo, caused undue injury to Angelito Veluz who is the real owner of the vehicle.

She recommended P30,000 each for their temporary liberty.

In addition, Lapitan charged Areola and Diola of Falsification under Article 171 par. 4 of the Revised Penal Code and recommended P24,000 each for their temporary liberty. The case stemmed after joint operatives of Regional Traffic Management Office (RTMO)-7 seized a vehicle traveling along Escario St. to Cebu City driven by Rouel Calderon on October 13, 2006.

The complainants of the case were SPO2 Noel Seno, PO3 Jesus Manulat, PO2 Jaime Aquino and CI11 Michael Ferolino of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) who filed the case against Police Senior Supt. Florencio Buentipo, PO3 Henry Tabaculde, Areola, and Diola.

Also charged were Jose Ruperto Remollo of LTO Cebu City and Bernardo Borromeo of LTO Talisay along with Tagalog and Cabahug.

Complainants alleged that the vehicle driven by Calderon was owned by spouses Ebo based on the list of RTMO and the CIDG watch list of carnapped vehicles.

It was also reported by the PNP Crime laboratory on October 13, 2006 that the vehicle chassis and secret serial numbers were tampered.

“Records show that said motor vehicle originally registered and owned by Angelito Veluz of Dasmarinas City was stolen on March 22, 2004 while parked at Bacoor, Cavite and the incident was reported to Bacoor Police Station and PNP Traffic Management Group,” complainants said.

The complainant also said alleged that the vehicle was fraudulently registered as a newly acquired vehicle, although with tampered engine chassis and secret serial numbers, under the name of Cabahug in the Land Transportation Office in Talisay City.

On May 3, 2004 the vehicle was acquired by Tagalog from Cabahug and he registered it with the Cebu City Land Transportation District Office.

On May 4, 2004 it was purchased by Spouses Ebo and an MEC was issued by Areola upon examination by Diola.

It was Buentipo Jr. who issued the clearance certificate as processed by Tabaculde where it was stated that the said vehicle was not in the list of wanted/stolen vehicles.

The complainants allegedly discovered that the vehicle was stolen after Engr. David Doctor of the Service Operations Marketing Division of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines sent them a letter stating the serial numbers had been re-installed and the original owner was Veluz based on the Certificate of Registration and receipt issued by LTO Taguig. — (FREEMAN)