A LAWYER belied Wednesday the Highway Patrol Group's (HPG) claim that an alleged carnapping incident happened inside its compound last October 31, contrary to what was written in another local daily.

"This is outright misleading the public," Lawyer Ramon Edison C. Batacan, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) president and governor, told Sun.Star Davao.

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Batacan said what actually happened was that the court issued a writ of seizure served by the court sheriff, thus virtually ordering the release of a vehicle impounded inside the HPG compound.

He said the vehicles were impounded on the mere suspicion that they are either stolen or having a tampered chassis number.

"He (HPG Chief Superintendent Gregorio Pimentel) should obey the court processes but instead of abiding the writ, he arrested the hapless driver and his companion who were deputized by the sheriff to drive the vehicle," Batacan said.

The lawyer branded the story peddled by HPG that there was an attempt to steal the vehicle from the police compound as incredible.

"Pimentel's stubbornness and disobedience to judicial process gives a bad light to the police since the police is supposed to obey judicial processes," Batacan said.

He said the continued possession by the HPG of the subject vehicle despite receipt of the writ of seizure signifies not only a willful disregard or disobedience of the court's orders but to bring the authority of the court and the administration of the law into disrepute or in some manner to impede due administration of justice.

"We are preparing to file a criminal case for indirect contempt and an administrative case for grave abuse of authority against Pimentel," Batacan said.

Batacan earlier decried the practice of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Highway Patrol Group of issuing vehicle clearances only to apprehend the same vehicles after the latter are registered by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

In their version of the story, PO2 Arnold Sagabaen of the HPG said the group of Neil Anthony Rollon and Ruel Subaan Gudez forcibly drove off with a Toyota Hi-Lux impounded in their compound last Friday and would have successfully stolen had they not driven right into a dead-end road.

Lawyer Edwin Engay of the HPG in Camp Crame said they have prepared a case of carnapping and disobedience to a person in authority against the two men.