Wednesday, August 01, 2007 ‘Missing’ from van returned to Sitoy: P400T cash, goods
FORMER Cordova mayor Arleigh Sitoy yesterday claimed the remaining items at the PNP7 Crime Laboratory that were earlier seized by police from his Starex van.
Sitoy arrived at the laboratory past 10 a.m. to get the P299,000 cash in P100 and 200 bills, his black Samsonite traveling bag, three bamboo sticks, a black jacket, a black laptop bag, a black brief case with assorted personal documents, a plastic bag containing several multi-vitamins, a carton box containing brown envelope with several assorted documents;
Four long brown envelopes with documents, eight long folders with documents, four plastic bags containing campaign materials, several photocopies of certificate of registration and official receipt of Sitoy’s cars and assorted laminated identification cards of the former mayor.
Last Monday, Sitoy also claimed the M16 rifle and the 9mm pistol, PNP 7 Crime Laboratory Chief Nestor Sator said. Sator said the KG-9 rifle and its ammunitions, on the other hand, were turned over to the firearms and explosives division at the Police Regional Office 7.
Sitoy retrieved the items after Assistant Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor Jesus Rodrigo Tagaan ordered their return after ruling that the complaint filed against the former mayor lacked probable cause for it to be elevated to the court.
The charges that were dropped included illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and violation of the Commission on Elections gun ban.
Sitoy, in a radio DyLA interview, said he was able to get back all the items listed in the inventory, but he believes there are several items he may have placed inside the van that were not included in the list.
These included two branded jackets (Levi’s and Ralph Lauren), a laptop worth P80,000 and a personal digital assistant unit worth P40,000.
He also said the seized cash amounted to P600,000, but listed in the inventory was only P299,000.
Sitoy, however, said he will trace these items to other cars they used during the campaign before he decides to press charges.
Lapu-Lapu City Police Chief Louie Oppus declined to comment on Sitoy’s claims about missing items from his Starex van. Oppus said he was not the chief of police at the time the van was impounded.
However, he said Sitoy did not mention anything about missing items during the inspection of the van last Monday.
“During the inspection, diha ang media. Diha ang Soco. Wala man siya’y gisulti kabahin niana,” Oppus told Sun.Star Cebu.
Oppus was relieved from his post weeks before the elections after defeated mayoral candidate Norma Patalinghug asked for it.
Supt. Noel Gillamac was designated police chief.
It was during Gillamac’s time that the van was spotted outside a restaurant and searched for illegal firearms during the election period.
Gillamac could not be reached for comment. (JST/MEA)
