SAN JOSE, Antique – Six sugar migrants or “sakadas” here with the son of their missing companion, rejoiced after they received copies of a court order dismissing the theft charges filed against them when they were working in a sugar field in Negros Occidental 26 years ago.
Conrado Evangelista, one of the sugar migrant workers, said on Sunday they were happy to receive justice on the accusation that they stole 20 cane knives used to cut sugarcane on Sept. 21, 1993.
“We are so happy that finally there is a court decision dismissing the case against us,” he added in local language Kiniray-a.
Evangelista denied the accusation against them. He said the case was filed to scare them off their workplace.
“It worries us because the case was pending in court for many, many years,” he added.
Evangelista, with his companions Franklin Sanchez, Adelino Sanchez Jr., Marcelo Cornelio, Silveriano Tobias, Zaldy Aldemita, and Reynaldo Dalumpines (who went missing), only received temporary liberty after posting a bail bond, but said they were worried about being rearrested anytime.
The sugar migrant workers were grateful for the dismissal of the case through the help of the provincial government-sugar migrant desk and Antiqueño volunteer lawyer Benjamin Candari Jr.
Candari, who handed copies of the court dismissal, said the case was dismissed because the owner of the stolen cane knives and the complainant were already dead.
The prosecution manifested during the hearing that they have no other witnesses to present in court.
“Considering that the prosecution will not be able to prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt and finding merit on the grounds stated by the defense counsel, the motion is granted,” said Municipal Trial Court in Cities Sixth Judicial Region presiding judge Eunice Tan Suansing in her dismissal order dated Oct. 4.
Gov. Rhodora Cadiao, as part of the assistance from the sugar migrant desk, distributed a P5,000 cash aid to each of the six migrant workers, a livelihood project and five kilos of rice as food subsidy.(With a report from PNA/PN)
