Ombudsman acquits cop of carjacking raps

A police official accused of carjacking a vehicle five years ago has been acquitted by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez dismissed for lack of merit the carjacking charges filed against Chief Inspector Romeo Odrada, who was then with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame.

Odrada is now Station Investigation and Detective Management Bureau (SIDMB) chief of the Malabon City police.

“I have always believed that the truth will out in my case. I am also very happy and thankful that justice, even if it took a long time to come, has been served,”  Odrada told The STAR.

In a two-page resolution, Gutierrez ruled that Odrada, together with Inspector German Matillano of the CIDG, cannot be held liable for carjacking because they had no intent to gain from the possession and disposition of the vehicle.

The court said this was because the car in question was then already part of the evidence in a drug trafficking case against suspect Jessie Gomez, who owns the vehicle, a blue and silver Mitsubishi Pajero (XGF-949).

Odrada and his CIDG team allegedly seized the Pajero last Jan. 21, 2003 in front of Gomez’s residence because it was allegedly used in illegal drug trade activities. The vehicle was new at the time it was seized.

Gomez bought the car on an installment basis from Transport Automotive Sales Corp (TASCOR) in Imus, Cavite.

Gomez paid a downpayment of P320,000 and promised to pay the balance within three months at P86,667 per month.

“Unable to collect the remaining balance and to repossess the car from the car buyer-suspect then already jailed at the Imus Municipal Jail in Cavite for drug trafficking, complainant TASCOR filed the case against Odrada through Melodia Bautista, sales and marketing manager,” the court said.

The court ruled that Bautista “has no personality to file the criminal charge...as she had no personal knowledge in the manner of taking the vehicle.” The court added that Bautista was also not the victim in the questioned incident.

The Ombudsman advised TASCOR to instead bring its efforts to repossess the vehicle through the civil courts.    – Jerry Botial