Driver gets 31 years for stealing boss' truck

MANILA, Philippines - A Parañaque City judge has sentenced a company driver to a total of 31 years’ imprisonment – 17 years for stealing his employer’s delivery truck nearly four years ago and another 14 years for taking away P150,000 worth of cargo in the truck.

Regional Trial Court Judge Rolando How convicted Jose Joel Lanuza of qualified theft and ordered him to pay his former employer, businessman Fernando Go, P70,000 for the Isuzu Elf truck (TFV-366) and P125,328.25 for the stolen merchandise.

Go said Lanuza was hired as a company driver in March 2007. In the same month, Lanuza and helper Jason Gozon were assigned to deliver P150,00 worth of goods to a warehouse in Pasig City, but the two did not return.

Go said he tried but failed to find Lanuza. He said he tried to convince Lanuza to return the van, but was told on separate occasions that the vehicle would be found in Novaliches, Quezon City, Valenzuela City, or in Tala, Caloocan City.

Gozon, on the other hand, called to inform his boss that Lanuza left him penniless in an unfamiliar place in Bulacan province. He said he had to sleep on the sidewalk and beg for money so he could go back to Manila.

A year later, Lanuza was arrested by Pampanga police for another car theft case. During Lanuza’s trial for stealing Go’s truck, authorities found that Lanuza faces another carjacking case in Makati and a qualified theft case in Manila.

Lanuza denied the accusations and said he did not return to work because Go did not ask him to. He also said he left the truck inside Go’s compound because it malfunctioned and needed repair.

“Lanuza was not telling the truth when he claimed that the van had malfunctioned...had it been the case, the van could be easily found at (the) compound or at any place nearby where it had allegedly stalled,” How said in his decision, promulgated Jan. 25.