Couple sued for theft cries ‘injustice’

CEBU, Philippines - “We are also victims. We are not the culprit.”

This was the statement of Medardo Zamora on the theft charges filed against them before the Regional Trial Court in Mandaue City.

Zamora, 31, and his live-in partner, Jean Marie Moreño, 28, denied the accusations that they are members of a syndicate with a modus of switching bags and took the bag of Junalyn Bernas containing P100,000 cash, and other valuable items including a cellular phone worth P31,000 in a North Reclamation Area mall in Mandaue City.

Moreño said that on July 19, 2014 at around 6:46 p.m. they were inside another mall along the North Reclamation Area and also lost their bag with P10,000 cash and valuable items while they were doing their groceries. 

“I noticed that when we’re about to pay our groceries wala na akong bag containing P10,000 cash and other valuable items, we went to the customer service and asked for assistance. We were inside the supermarket until 10:10 p.m. hoping that a good samaritan will return it,” Moreño said, showing pictures captured in the CCTV of the said supermarket to corroborate their claim and adding that it was impossible that they were in a fast-food chain in another mall where Bernas reportedly lost her bag.

Zamora and Moreño, residents of Minglanilla, were invited to the Police Station 2 in Mandaue City on July 21, 2014 for questioning and were eventually placed behind bars after they were “positively identified” by the service crew of the fast-food chain where Bernas lost her bag.

Police of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch of the Mandaue City Police Office (IDMB-MCPO) said that based on their follow-up investigation, they were able to secure a copy of the CCTV footage of the fast-food chain indicating how the two suspects, the female allegedly identified as Moreño, took the bag of Bernas.

Zamora clarified that they are innocent and they are working professionals both employed as call center agents. He said the evidences they gathered prove their innocence.

Lawyer Jonathan Villegas Sr., legal counsel of the couple, said his clients were victims of mistaken identity. He said the footage with signatures taken in the mall his clients were in corroborated to their claim.

With this, Villegas said they will be filing a motion to quash information questioning the legality of the arrest.  (FREEMAN)