A Bacolod City employee has been sentenced to 15 days imprisonment for the crime of slight physical injuries.

Otelo Ramos was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt by Judge Lorna Demonteverde of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 2 in Bacolod City , who also ordered him to pay private complainant Roberto Halili, also a city employee, P5,000 as civil indemnity .

His co-accused Sandy Ingson, Allen Lacson and Casimiro Samson were acquitted, the prosecution having failed to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt, Demonteverde said.

Ramos of the Public Order and Security Office (POSO) of Bacolod City , was accused in Criminal Case 04-12-8987 of attacking Halili on Sept. 7, 2004 .

Ramos had questioned Halili for wanting to take away motorcycles assigned to the POSO.

Halili said he tried to explain that the idea did not come from him but Ramos ignored his explanation and punched him in the left clavicle.

Slight physical injuries is one where a person is incapacitated from work for one to nine days, or requires medical attention within the same period, the judge said.

In the case at bar, Halili needed five to seven days of medical attention, the judge noted.

The testimonies of all the witnesses for the prosecution merely placed all the accused at the scene when the incident happened, the judge said. However, the witnesses could not categorically state the participation of each and every accused, except one, Demonteverde said.

On the basis of the testimonies, only one fact remained consistent, that it was Ramos who had punched Halili on the chest, Demonteverde ruled.*CPG

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