Ombud dismisses admin raps vs. Zaballero

The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas dropped the administrative cases that former prosecutor Mary Ann Castro filed against former Provincial Board member Grecilda Sanchez-Zaballero in 2015.

Darius Sagadal, graft investigation and prosecution officer, dismissed for want of evidence the complaints for grave abuse of authority, unauthorized use of a government vehicle and conduct prejudicial to public interest against Zaballero, sister of Castro’s estranged husband, Leodegreco “Greco” Sanchez.

“There is no substantial evidence to establish that respondent used or allowed her brother to use a government-issued vehicle,” reads Sagadal’s 11-page decision.

Castro accused Zaballero of meddling in the investigation of the Highway Patrol Group 7 on the car theft complaint she lodged before the agency last Oct. 13, 2015.

On Oct. 26, 2015, Greco called for a press conference in his sister’s office and announced that his Ford Ranger WildTrak went missing barely 30 minutes after he parked it outside the legislative building inside the Capitol compound that day.

Greco said Castro has the key of the car, which the couple loaned for P1.61 million on Sept.1. But Castro said the vehicle was stolen by two people in a carwash shop in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City last Oct. 13.

She filed carnapping charges against one Maricel Gregory and an unidentified man, who, according to the testimony of a carwash boy, introduced themselves as the owners and took the vehicle.

In her complaint, Castro said Zaballero “intervened and actively involved herself in a private matter between married couple” by asking for the video footage captured by the closed-circuit television camera installed outside the legislative building.

Missing

The prosecutor said Zaballero even called several high-ranking police officials to report the missing vehicle of her brother “as if she is the owner of the vehicle.”

Castro also said Zaballero used her government-issued Toyota Hi-Lux to transport Greco from his rehabilitation center in Argao town to Cebu City when he was undergoing drug rehabilitation.

Replying to the charges, Zaballero denied that she intervened in the carnapping investigation or used a government vehicle to transport her brother to and from the rehabilitation center.

Zaballero said she merely helped her brother report his missing vehicle, which was reportedly carnapped while parked inside the legislative building at the Capitol compound.

She also said her family owns 14 vehicles and that one of these cars were used to transport her brother.

Zaballero said the rehabilitation center requested for police escorts as additional security when her brother was transported to and from the center. However, she clarified that the policemen were not in “full battle gear.”

In the decision, Sagadal said there was nothing excessive or oppressive when Zaballero helped her brother report the carnapping of his vehicle to the police.

Likewise, there was no evidence that Zaballero intervened in the carnapping investigation by the Highway Patrol Group, Sagadal said.

The Ombudsman also dismissed allegations that Zaballero used the government vehicle to transport her brother.

“Substantial evidence is more than a mere scintilla. It means such relevant evidence as reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion, even if other minds equally reasonable might conceivably opine otherwise,” reads the decision. /