THE Court of Appeals has affirmed the decision of the MIMAROPA Police Regional Office junking the administrative complaint filed against the former officer-in-charge of the Odiongan police station in Romblon over his alleged failure to provide a copy of a police blotter to a complainant.
In an 11-page decision promulgated on September 7, the appellate court’s First Division junked the complaint filed by Ria Fe Mendi, saying she failed to exhaust the remedies available to her before elevating the case to the higher courts when the police regional office ruled against her complaint at Maj. Christopher Leal.
Mendi lodged a complaint against Leal in June 2021 alleging that she failed to get a copy of the blotter she filed against her former live-in partner, Rolan Sulabo, for threatening her.
Mendi claimed that when she went to the Odiongan police station for the third time in February 2021, Leal told her he could not give her the police blotter because her complaint could be filed only at the barangay level.
Subsequently, she said she went to the barangay hall of Barangay Dapawan, Odiongan and had her complaint against Sulabo recorded.
Mendi said despite this, Leal still refused to provide a copy of the police blotter that she requested.
In his defense, Leal denied the accusations of neglect of duty filed by Mendi and said she failed to finalize her complaint against Sulabo since she did not affix her signature on the police blotter.
On January 14, 2022, the police regional office cleared Leal of liability “because it was established that there was no blotter record at all for the failure of petitioner to complete her record and affix her signature thereon.”
Mendi’s motion for reconsideration was also denied on March 28, 2022, forcing her to bring the case to the CA.
