Davao police arrest plane thief

DAVAO CITY – Police arrested late Monday afternoon in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte the pilot who went missing after allegedly stealing a light aircraft to demand the release of his separation pay.

According to Regional Aviation Security Office 8 here, Capt. Roberto Ramirez, 44, was arrested by elements of the Sto. Tomas town police when he returned the plane to the Marsman Estate plantation at around 5 p.m. Monday.

Ramirez was reportedly detained at the Sto. Tomas municipal jail under the custody of station commander Senior Inspector Bernard Yang pending the filing of appropriate charges.

It could not be determined, however, what charges would be filed against Ramirez who took off on a single-engine plane (with registry number RPR 1768) and threatened to crash the plane if his employers refuse to settle his separation pay, supposedly amounting to P2 million.

Air Transportation Office (ATO) chief Adelberto Yap in Manila said the ATO would not file charges against Ramirez since they would not likely be able to establish a case against him.

Yap said it would be up to the owner of the plane, Air Wolf Aviation Corp., to file charges against Ramirez. Ramirez was a pilot of Air Wolf and not Dole Philippines as earlier reported.

But, Yap said, Air Wolf cannot file charges of "plane-napping" since there is no such crime in the statute books. At best, he could be charged with qualified theft, he added.

Yap clarified that Dole Philippines hires Air Wolf to spray its banana plantations in Mindanao.

Ramirez allegedly stole the plane from the Marsman Corp. hangar in Sto. Tomas town around lunch time on Monday and flew it to Sta. Inez town in Agusan del Sur.

Once airborne, Ramirez allegedly radioed and demanded that Air Wolf settle his separation pay by 3 p.m. of Monday or he would crash the plane.

He then proceeded to an airstrip in Barangay Calinan, Davao City before returning to Sto. Tomas as he was running out of fuel.

Yap surmised that Ramirez must have come to his senses after realizing that even if the company settles his separation pay, he would not be able to enjoy the money in jail.