POWER PILFERAGE
Dismissal of the case an insult to tax payers—Caipang

By Maricar M. Calubiran

Former Task Force Boltahe chief retired Engr. Dan Edgar Caipang yesterday said the dismissal of the case for violation of Republic Act 7832 or the anti-electricity and electric transmission line materials Pilferage Act of 1994 against former City Treasurer Romeo Manikan and eight others is a “big insult” to the tax payers.

Caipang stressed that it was the city government led by Mayor Jerry Treñas and not the task force who acted as plaintiff on the case against Manikan, Barangay Captain Roy Bercelis and seven other residents of Barangay Concepcion City, Proper.

Caipang said they have been cooperative during the prosecution of the case. He added that the task force was hopeful to pin down Manikan and his neighbors since they have convincing proof. The task force was ready during the legal battle. This is the first time Caipang made a statement to the media since the dismissal of the case.

However, last May 10, 2005, Judge Cedrick Ruiz of the Branch 39 of the Iloilo Regional Trial Court dismissed the case against Manikan and his neighbors for insufficiency of evidence. The dismissal of the case was attributed to the failure of Atty. Reynaldo Sonalan to present the evidence taken from Manikan's house.

Caipang recounted that task force was able to present the physical evidence before the court which includes nine meters of PDX wire. He recalled that they were even kidded by Judge on the color of the electrical wires. The electrical wire is already dirty white when presented in court. On the documentation, the electrical wires taken from Manikan's house was colored white.

Caipang said Judge Ruiz asked Sonalan to submit documentary evidence after seeing the physical evidence. He taught all the while that the task force is on doing well during the trial. It was already the responsibility of Sonalan to present the documents.

When asked, on whether he knew all along that Joel Umetin kept the evidence, Caipang said he had no idea about it. He however said Umetin got the wire from the City Legal Office (CLO) and presented it in court.

Umetin, who already died of an illness, was blamed by Sonalan for his failure to present the evidence before the court. In his letter of explanation to Atty. Edgar Gil, CLO chief, Sonalan said “before the prosecution can offer its documentary and object exhibits, Engr. Umetin met his untimely death on February 21, 2005.”

Sonalan claimed that diligent effort to retrieve or locate the exhibits entrusted to Umetin failed. With all the toils done, there is no reason for the undersigned not to offer the exhibits had been made available, said Sonalan.

The retired engineer said only the transcripts of the court proceedings could speak who among them is telling the truth. He is also ready whenever Manikan and Bercelis file a case against him. “The complainant is the city government and we are only city employees. They could not single me out.” The City Prosecutors Office will not recommend for the filing of case if there is no ground.