Monday, July 28, 2008 Briton’s wife ‘sold’ house, lot
AN ACCUSATION of robbery cannot be valid when the things you allegedly stole belonged to you in the first place.
This was the reaction of Lourdes Kintanar-Kapfer of the Department of Trade and Industry whom a Briton accused of robbery last week.
British national Anthony Whitehead filed a complaint of robbery against Kapfer last Thursday before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor. He filed similar charges against his Filipina wife Jocelyn Ocampo and her parents Felisa and Rogelio.
Whitehead, who resides in Barangay Looc, Oslob, Cebu, also included Barangay Captain Milagros Postranos and tanod Benjamin Daclan in the suit.
The stealing of items in his house allegedly happened last July 16 when Whitehead was summoned to appear at the Bureau of Immigration in Manila.
But Kapfer claimed there was only a “turnover” of property.
Notification
In reaction to a Sun.Star Cebu report on the incident, Kapfer presented a declaration of real property to prove that she bought the house in question from Jocelyn in February this year.
She added that ever since his notification last March 13, the Briton had already been aware of the sale.
She explained that she bought the house and lot from Jocelyn and not from the Briton because these legally belonged to Jocelyn, as foreigners cannot own a house and
lot in the Philippines.
Kapfer said that she also bought from the Whiteheads some of their household items, such as a television set, furniture and fixtures.
Safekeeping
The items belonging to the Whiteheads, such as clothing, two bicycles, a telephone unit and a motorcycle were brought to the barangay hall for safekeeping.
Kapfer two tanods signed as witnesses to the turnover—Daclan and Karen Postranos.
Kapfer also alleged that when she returned to Cebu City the following day, Whitehead broke into the home.
She claimed that Whitehead connived with his attorney, some welders and Oslob policeman Edward Seno in forcibly entering the house on July 17.
As of yesterday, Kapfer said Whitehead still refused to vacate the house.
In the affidavit that Whitehead attached to his complaint, he said that his house helper Lena So-rinda had contacted him on July 16 about a robbery, when he was on his way home from Manila.
However, Kapfer said that it was Jocelyn’s name that appeared in the proof of property ownership, and that Kapfer had already paid her for these.
“How can I be part of the robbery if I own the property?” she said. (KAB)
