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Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Military ombud accuses sergeant of carnapping
By Raquel C. Bagnol
* Army sergeant accused of refusing to return taxicab he claimed to have "bought" from another soldier who died recently
* Taxicab was supposed to have been just rented by the soldier who died
THE Office of the Ombudsman for Military charged a member of the Philippine Army (PA) assigned at Camp Panacan with carnapping for allegedly refusing to return a taxicab unit worth P55,000 owned by a resident of Makati City.
In a resolution, Graft Investigator Gilbert Bueno recommended the filing of charges before the proper court against M/Sgt. Edgardo T. Rufino of the 11th Essu, Ascom, Philippine Army in Panacan, Davao City, based on the complaints filed by Milagros Ibay of 26-A Gen. Del Pilar Street, South Cembo, Fort Bonifacio in Makati City.
In her complaint-affidavit, Ibay claimed she entrusted the taxicab bearing plate number PLV-533 to one Cpl. Bonifacio Villaluz, who rented the unit from her for P500 a day. But Villaluz allegedly failed to pay the rental promptly.
This prompted Ibay to file a complaint against Villaluz before the Philippine Army headquarters but this did not prosper because Villaluz died.
Ibay, however, said she learned that her taxicab was already under Rufino's custody when she visited Davao City on January 17 this year due to Villaluz' death.
Ibay said that she presented documents to Rufino to prove her ownership of the taxicab, but Rufino allegedly refused to return the taxicab and insisted that he had already bought the taxicab.
In his counter-affidavit, Rufino denied the allegations that he stole the taxicab and described the charges as "flimsy, speculative and without factual basis".
He insisted that he acquired the taxicab from Villaluz "for a valuable consideration covered by a deed of sale and notarized by lawyer Leo Anthony Braceros."
Rufino presented a Certificate of Registration (CR) and official receipt (OR) issued by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), deed of sale and transfer of certificate to prove his claim that he bought the taxicab for P70,000.
But the Ombudsman found probable cause to hold him guilty considering that the taxicab did not belong to Villaluz, but to Ibay.
A P180,000 bailbond was recommended for Rufino's provisional liberty.
(December 10, 2003 issue)
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