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Pasay court orders arrest of AMWSLAI exec, 2 others

By Benjamin B. Pulta

11/14/2008

Arrest warrants have been issued by two Pasay City courts against a former trustee and two members of the multibillion-peso Air Materiel Wing Savings and Loan Association Inc. (AMWSLAI) after they were charged with the crime of grave coercion when they forcibly took over the AMWSLAI-Villamor Airbase Branch sometime in December last year.

Former AMWSLAI director Anselmo Geronimo and Alejandro Caburnay were ordered arrested by Judge Bibiano Colasito of Pasay City Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) after the City Prosecutor’s Office filed a complaint against them for 9 counts of grave coercion as penalized by Article 286 of the Revised Penal Code.

The warrants of arrest against Geronimo and Caburnay were issued last Oct. 28.

In a separate order dated Nov. 7, 2008, Judge Catherine Manodon of Pasay City MTC issued a warrant of arrest against Wilfredo de la Cruz after having been indicted for committing a similar criminal offense.

The MTCs set a bail of P12,000 for each count of the offense, or a total of P108,000 for each of the accused for their temporary liberty.

The case against Geronimo, Caburnay and De la Cruz stemmed from the complaint filed by Joan Gumba, a staff of AMWSLAI-Villamor Airbase Branch, who was intimidated and prevented by the accused from performing her duties at the office on Dec. 19, 2007.

Pasay City Prosecutor Elmer Mitra has approved the recommendation of Assistant City Prosecutor Ma. Theresa Bueno-Cabalum to indict Geronimo and two others for grave coercion in connection with their unlawful takeover of AMWSLAI-Villamor Airbase Branch and for preventing the complainant from performing her job as staff of the office.

“The above-named accused, conspiring and confederating with one another, without authority of law or a lawful right and by means of violence, threats and intimidation, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously entered and closed AMWSLAI-Villamor Airbase Branch thereby preventing complainant Joan Gumba, staff of AMWSLAI-Villamor Airbase Branch, from performing her duties at the aforesaid branch and from leaving (the office despite her request),” the formal complaint reads in part.