Claudine Barretto’s aide is acquitted from theft case

Claudine Barretto’s former aide Dessa Patilan was very happy and grateful that no probable cause was found in the qualified theft case filed against her by the actress in 2013.

Claudine formally filed a case against Dessa in May 2013 at the Marikina Regional Trial Court due to her supposed theft of the actress’s cash, jewelry, and other items amounting to P8,051,800.

After being detained for a year in Marikina, Dessa temporarily got out of prison after Claudine’s sister Gretchen Barretto posed a bail for her in March of last year.

“Sobrang saya ko po sa tiwala na ibinigay sa akin ni Ma’am Gretchen at ng aking mga abogado. Sila ang nagbigay sa akin ng pag-asa na, maliit man akong tao, ay maaari kong makamit ang hustisya. Hindi po nila ako pinabayaan,” she said in an interview with PEP.

“Ang pangako ko ay hindi ko sasayangin ang pagkakataon na ito. Lagi po akong mananalig sa Diyos. Maraming-maraming salamat,” Dessa added.

The resolution given by Judge Romeo Tagra last January 26 also noted the “Illegal warrantless search” done by Claudine which led to the violation of Dessa’s “right to privacy.”

The said deduction came from Claudine’s own sworn statement wherein she claimed to have found inside Dessa’s cabinet a huge teddy bear which contains the “DV1 Camera, two pieces of medallion bracelet, assorted makeup kit, and mobile phone.” Claudine’s statement claimed that the said items were the ones taken from her by Dessa.

Moreover, the resolution noted Claudine’s failure to submit as evidence her Rolex watch which she claimed that Dessa attempted to steal.

“Since the search was already done in the presence of the responding police officers after the accused had already become a suspect for the specific crime of theft—for the Rolex watch, then technically speaking, the second search on the cabinet and the stuffed toys inside is already deemed done by the police officers themselves.

'As such, the proscription, under Section 2 in relation to Section 3 (2), Article III of the 1987 Constitution, that a search warrant is necessary before a search is made, otherwise, all items seized and found as a result thereof are inadmissible and bereft of evidentiary value in any proceeding, already becomes applicable,' the resolution noted.

At this point, Dessa, together with her counsel Atty. Alma Mallonga, will still be pursuing their appeal for the junked qualified theft complaint that they filed against Claudine.

The appeal stems from the fact that Claudine, until today, has failed to return Dessa’s tablet and cash amounting to P10,700 which the former supposedly took from the latter in May of 2013.

Main Photo credit to claubarretto IG