For paying police P5,000 woman guilty of attempted bribery

CEBU, Philippines - A woman was found guilty of attempting to bribe a police officer who confiscated her cargo in Cebu City in 2009 for exceeding the allowed volume.

In his four-page decision, Judge Oscar Andrino of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities found Epifania Pamor dela Cruz guilty for attempted corruption of public official under Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code.

“All told, the prosecution was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused committed the crime of attempted corruption of public officer,” the decision reads.

Andrino sentenced dela Cruz to suffer the penalty of two months and one day of imprisonment and to pay a fine of P5,000.

Dela Cruz was arrested on March 9, 2009.

Senior Police Officer 3 Joel Annonuevo, PO3 Edwin Mayuela, and PO2 Emmanuel Blones, assigned at the Mobile Patrol Group, said they were conducting a roving patrol at the South Road Properties in Cebu City when they saw an Isuzu Elf truck with plate no. DJK-727 loaded with gemilina woods.

The police officers said they ordered the driver to stop for inspection and asked for the necessary documents.

However, they found out that the lumber loaded in the truck exceeded the volume indicated in the documents. The volume allowed was only 800 but the cargo was more than 1,000.

The police held the truck and confiscated the cargo.

Dela Cruz reportedly gave Annonuevo P5,000 so her truck would not be impounded and the cargo would be released.

What dela Cruz did prompted the police officers to arrest her, citing corruption of public official.

Andrino said the presentation of the evidence for the defense had been reset for several times. However, pursuant to his order dated June 26, 2014, dela Cruz was considered to have waived her right to present evidence and so the case was submitted for decision.

Dela Cruz, according to Andrino, did not even file a motion for reconsideration on his order. Thus, the MTCC judge ruled to convict dela Cruz.

“It bears emphasis to state that the prosecution was able to prove that the accused offered or gave P5,000 to SPO3 Annonuevo for him to refrain from doing something which is his official duty to do so, in this case, to impound the cargo truck and confiscate its cargo of gemelina lumber as the accused failed to present the proper documents. SPO3 Annonuevo did not accept the offer and immediately arrested the accused,” the decision reads.  (FREEMAN)