A hairdresser from Bato town was collared by the police last Saturday afternoon on the basis of a warrant of arrested issued by a Cavite court for qualified theft.
The report from the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office headed by Provincial Director PCol. Elmer Cereno identified the rankless Regional Most Wanted Person of Region 4A as Elmer Vargas Pereyra, 39, a resident of barangay Cabugao.
Joint elements of the Virac police led by PMSg/ Richard Pereyra, together with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Catanduanes Provincial Field Unit and the Regional Investigation Unit Provincial Intelligence Team 6, made the apprehension on the basis of the warrant issued by Bacoor City Regional Trial Court Branch 116 Presiding Judge Persephone Meir Bambico Belen, under Criminal Case No. B-2024-1110, with no bail recommended.
According to legal experts, while many qualified theft cases are punishable by imprisonment of 12 to 20 years, the penalty can escalate to reclusion perpetua – 20 to 40 years in prison – in situations involving large sums of money or a combination of aggravating circumstances such as abuse of trust and confidence.
While many qualified theft cases will fall under reclusión temporal (12 years and 1 day to 20 years), there are situations—often involving extremely large sums or a combination of aggravating factors— such as abuse ofgwhere the penalty can escalate to reclusión perpetua. Once the penalty is reclusión perpetua, the qualified theft charge becomes a capital offense for bail purposes.