A joint operation by the Quezon City police with the Virac police station and two other police units led to the arrest of a 35-year-old businesswoman from barangay Hawan Grande facing 18 counts of violations of Batas Pambansa Blg. 22.
Last Nov. 8 at 6 PM, elements of the Virac MPS led by PMsg. Richard Pereyra, together with personnel of the La Loma Police Station, Catanduanes Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) Provincial Field Unit, and Catanduanes EOD/K9 unit, apprehended Renelyn Cajuday, 35, in her residence at Purok 1, Hawan Grande.
Listed as the No. 10 most wanted at the station level Cajuday was nabbed by virtue of the warrant of arrest issued by Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 140 Presiding Judge Dennis Mojica Aga, last Nov. 4 2024 for violation of the Bouncing Checks Law docketed under Criminal Case No. 23-06356 to 23-06373 with no bail recommended.
The police report did not explain why Cajuday will be held without bail for the BP 22 violations, as the Bail Guide issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) recommends bail of P6,000 for every P40,000 of the face value of the check in question, with the bail not to exceed P120,000.
On the other hand, the Supreme Court, under its Summary Rules, has stated that no warrant of arrest shall be issued for cases under the scope of such rules, including violations of BP 22.
The said law penalizes the making or issuance of a check that is dishonored due to insufficient funds or a closed account.
According to the High Court, alternative penalties which are imposable under BP 22 are: (1) imprisonment of not less than 30 days, but not more than one year; (2) a fine of not less or more than double the amount of the check, but not to exceed P200,000; or (3) both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.
In a separate incident, CCTV monitoring proved useful for a variety store in Binahuahan, Bato as it led to the arrest of a woman caught on camera whole stealing goods inside the store last Nov. 5, 2024.
The store caretaker was in Virac when she saw on her cellphone the footage of the woman taking grocery items and placing them inside her bag.
She immediately reported the incident to her cashier who tried to stop the suspect but the latter managed to escape.
The cashier immediately sought help from the Bato PNP’s Motorist Assistance Center (MAC), with law enforcers pursuing the suspect until she was arrested, yielding about P1,000 worth of stolen items.