Phone cable thief sentenced to 6 years in prison

MANILA, Philippines, March 16, 2007 – The Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 118 recently sentenced a telephone cable theft suspect to a minimum of six years and a maximum of 10 years imprisonment for stealing telephone cables belonging to the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.

In the court’s decision dated Jan. 24, 2007, Judge Pedro B. Corales found Manuel H. Crudo, 37, guilty beyond reasonable doubt of theft as defined under Articles 308 and 309 of the Revised Penal Code.

Crudo “is sentenced, applying the Indeterminate Sentence Law and there being no mitigating and aggravating circumstance, to suffer imprisonment of six years of ‘prision correcional,’ as minimum, to ten years of ‘prision mayor,’ as maximum.”

Aside from the jail sentence of six to 10 years, Crudo has been ordered to indemnify PLDT the amount of P50,000.00, the value of the telephone cables. An additional one year imprisonment for every P10,000.00 in excess of P22,000.00 of the value of the cables has also been meted out.

On December 9, 2005, at around 5:40 A.M., Crudo was caught in the act of cutting and stealing underground cables installed along Libertad corner Tramo Sts., Pasay City, by security guard Reynaldo M. Ancheta.

Upon arraignment on January 4, 2006, the suspect, assisted by counsel, pleaded not guilty to the crime.

Recently, two telephone cable theft suspects were also sentenced by the Regional Trial Court Branch 12, Davao City, to imprisonment from six months to one year and eight months.

Romulo Abragozo and Alejandro Dionaldo were convicted of theft they committed in April 2000 when they took away P400,000 worth of telephone cables owned by PLDT at Km. 24 in Bunawan, Davao City.

“We are very glad that our justice system is helping us put these telephone cable thieves to jail. This will indeed help us end the telephone service disruptions that caused a lot of inconvenience and prejudice, and even loss of money and business opportunities to our community,” said Cesar E. Mendoza, PLDT Administration and Materials Management Group (AMMG) - Asset Protection Center Head.

“We couldn’t have done this without the help of the local officials and law enforcement officers who have been vigilant in apprehending these telephone cable thieves,” he added.

Since December 2006, PLDT, in cooperation with local officials and law enforcement agencies, have caught 41 telephone cable theft suspects in Antipolo City, Cardona and Binangonan in Rizal, Caloocan City, Valenzuela City, Cavite, Bataan and Pampanga.

These suspects are: Hernani T. Bermas, Glen B. Navales, Christian L. Lopez, Regan M. Ocampo, Alvaro Ricillo, Froilan A. Litigar, Walter T. Navarro, Rommel I. Ortega, Henderson R. Ocampo, Nestor O. Espolilia, Eraño L. Ramirez, Angelbert J. Rivera, Rannie B. Constantino, Jonathan R. Gathan, Rolando C. Baccay, Noel V. Francisco, John De Vera, Jonathan R. Gathan, Rolando C. Baccay, Noel V. Francisco, Angelbert Rivera, Noel R. Valentin, JR “Jabar” R. Ortinez, Joseph S. Samaniego, Julie C. Jemines, Abelardo S. Palma, Buddy M. Villanueva, Angelo S. Palma, Henry M. Zapanza and Albert D. Barbado.

The 11 other suspects who are minors may be ordered by the Court to be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and required to attend an intervention program for minors.