2008-07-24 13:00:14 -
Cop charged with qualified theft for taking slain Comelec official's valuables
Manila www.balitapinoy.net
One of the Manila Police District (MPD) policemen, who handled the killing of Commission on Elections law department chief Alioden Dalaig, was charged on Thursday with qualified theft before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) for allegedly taking the victim's money and his bracelet on the night he was killed in 2007.
Manila Assistant Prosecutor Anne Geraldine
Agar filed qualified theft against Senior Police Officer 2 Benito Cabatbat, of the Manila Police District (MPD) Homicide Section.
She set at P46,000 the bail bond for Cabatbat's provisional liberty.
Records show that on November 16, 2007, Dalaig's family went to the MPD Homicide Division in Ermita, Manila to get the personal belongings of the slain Comelec official.
The family talked with Cabatbat, who was then reportedly the custodian of Dalaig's personal belongings.
The family members claimed that the items recovered by the police from the victim, particularly the bracelet he was wearing on the night he was killed, had been replaced with a fake one. The bracelet is reportedly worth P50,000.
The family also claimed it was only on November 17 that Cabatbat returned to Dalaig's family and Comelec personnel the money amounting to P328,000 that was supposed to be P334,910, or short of about P7,000.
'By reason of his being the investigator-on-case of the Dalaig killing, respondent had the material possession of the gold bracelet and the cash money. He took advantage of his position in taking, with intent to gain,' Agar said in the resolution.
Agar added: 'The crime had already reached the consummated stage because he had already gained full possession of the item that completed with the unlawful taking.'
'Had the attention of Supt. Yabut not called, respondent would keep the money for himself the genuine gold bracelet,' he added.
Dalaig was shot dead on November 10, 2007 by an unknown assailant near the corner of M. H. del Pilar and Pedro Gil Streets in Ermita, Manila. He was taken to the Ospital ng Maynila (OSMA) where he died.
(Balita Pinoy - Philippine News & Analysis)
