BESAO, Mountain Province – A Concerned residents in the municipality are questioning the alleged failure of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to serve the warrant of arrest that was issued by a Makati-based court against a mayoralty candidate who was earlier found guilty for violation of the pertinent provisions of Batas Pambansa (BP) Bilang 22 or the Anti-Bouncing Check Law.
Court records show that on April 25, 2022, Victor A. Dulfo, Branch Clerk of Court of the Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Branch 62 of Makati City, issued a certificate of finality certifying, among others that the joint decision dated December 2018, that found Dennis B. Dumanew guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crimes of violation of BP Blg. 22 and meted the penalty of fine in the amount of P200,000 for each of the 3 counts, subject to subsidiary imprisonment in accordance with Article 39 of the Revised Penal Code as amended by Republic Act (RA) 10159 providing for the writ of subsidiary personal liability equivalent to the highest minimum wage rate prevailing in the country at the time of rendition of judgement of conviction subject to the rules as thereunder imposed has not been amended, revised or modified, thus, the same has become final.
On February 22, 2022, MTC Branch 62 Presiding Judge M. Concepcion A. Billones issued a warrant of arrest against the said individual where the same is yet to be served by the PNP amidst directives from higher authorities to do so.
On March 11, 2022, Beverly C. delos Santos, complainant in Criminal Case No. 368180-82wrote the Directorate for Investigation and Detective management of the PNP based in Camp Crame, following up on the status of the accused’ warrant of arrest.
Subsequently, Police Maj. Gen. Omega Jireh D. Fidel issued a Memorandum dated March 14, 2022 to the regional directors of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera attention the regional investigation and detective management divisions for the immediate service of the warrant of arrest against the said accused in the case and coordinate directly to the complainant on whatever developments on the matter.
Further, the NCRPO and PRO-COR were also directed to submit the result of their actions taken to the concerned authorities not later than March 25, 2022 but records appear that the said accused allegedly remains at large.
In the same decision that was rendered by the court, the judge stated that as to the accused’s civil liability on the case, the November 28, 2016 partial decision based on a compromise agreement shall govern. With the issuance of a writ of execution on October 3, 2018, the sheriff was directed to make a return on the said writ within 10 days from receipt of the same.
The accused was charged for 3 counts of violation of BP Blg. 22 for allegedly issuing in favor or Rodolfo delos Santos 3 Philippine Veteran’s Bank checks which when deposited for payment were all dishonored for the reason that the account where the same were drawn was closed. The first 2 checks were in the amount of P560,000.00 both dated September 14, 2008 while the third check was in the amount of P500,000.00 dated September 20, 2008.
