Motel thief faces new cases

MANILA, Philippines - Investigagors are coordinating with two more hotels allegedly victimized by independent film actor Marco Morales, who posted bail Friday, Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban said yesterday.

He said that in one hotel, Morales allegedly left without paying his P100,000 bill and was caught on surveillance camera stealing a laptop from one of the hotel’s offices.

“We will be filing new cases against Morales aside from other cases he is facing in Manila and Pasay City,” Lukban said.

Morales was immediately subjected to inquest proceedings after his arrest when he attempted to leave St. Giles Hotel without paying his bill, according to Lukban. Morales will be tried on charges of estafa, concealment of true name and alarm and scandal by Judge Wilfredo Oca of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 63. 

Morales was released from detention Friday after he posted P8,000 bail.

Aside from the cases in Makati, Morales also faces charges of attempted homicide, estafa and theft for allegedly stealing a television from his room and hitting an employee with his car as he left a motel in Pasay City on June 11.

He left behind a driver’s license identifying him as Marco Gonzaga Saca.

Earlier, Southern Police District director Chief Superintendent Jose Erwin Villacorte called on other hotels Morales may have victimized to file charges. He also called on hotel industry groups to initiate legal action to prevent Morales from leaving the country.