New raps vs postman

CEBU, Philippines - A postman is facing another dilemma in court.

After he was found guilty of serious dishonesty, Allan Saavedra is now facing charges for alleged infidelity in the custody of documents.

In her resolution, graft investigator Jane Aguilar said Saavedra’s denial was insufficient to overthrow the positive testimony of the complainant and the supporting evidences.

The complainant, Miguela Davies, alleged that Saavedra stole a check amounting to at least P9,000 intended for her brother, Alfredo Bernabe.

“Saavedras stole the check in the amount of P9,628.91 intended for Alfredo Bernabe (brother of the complainant), forging the signature of Alfredo at the dorsal portion thereof and endorsed it by affixing his own signature,” the complaint reads.

Bernabe was a member of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth). The check reportedly was the refund from Philhealth after Bernabe was hospitalized due to heart attack last year.

Philhealth issued the check on March 24, 2011 and sent it via registered mail to Bernabe to his residence in Sangat, San Fernando, Cebu on March 29, 2011.

Davies said they did not receive the check from Philhealth.

Upon inquiry from the San Fernando Post Office, Davies discovered that the office received the mail on April 5, 2011 and it was Saavedra who delivered the mail to Bernabe’s residence. A proof was a signature of Bernabe’s wife, Felisa, on the receipt.

Felisa, however, insisted that no check was enclosed in the Benefit Payment Notice that she received.

In his counter-affidavit, Saavedra said he delivered the mail intended for Bernabe at his residence and confirmed that Felisa received the mail. He said he did not know whether or not the mail contained a check.

He said a certain Joseph Bernabe went to their office and reportedly asked him if he could encash a Philhealth check of his uncle. He said he agreed to heed the request because Joseph told him that his uncle was too old to go to the bank.

But Aguilar said Saavedra’s denial would not suffice.

“The mere fact of detaining the mail without forwarding the letters to their destination, or the changing of their ordinary route with malicious intent, for a purpose not authorized by the law or regulations, even though without opening them, or rifling them off their contents, constitutes, per se, the crime of faithlessness on the part of the officer,” the resolution reads.

The fact that Bernabe denied signing the check and presented proof that the signature appeared in the dorsal portion of the check was not his, Aguilar said they are “inclined to believe Alfredo and Felisa” that Saavedra failed to deliver the registered mail from the Philhealth containing check. – (FREEMAN)