WHERE in the world is “Corleone?”
Both Cebu City Asst. Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro and her husband Leodegreco “Greco” Sanchez gave contradictory answers on the whereabouts of their sports utility vehicle (SUV) that they named Corleone, after the Mafia family in author Mario Puzo’s “Godfather” novel series.
The couple, who married in a Muslim ceremony last Aug. 18 but are now living separately, acquired the Ford Ranger WildTrak on Sept. 1 or six weeks after their union.
Greco, the son of former Cebu Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr., said in a 2 p.m. press conference that the vehicle was stolen 30 minutes after he parked it at the Capitol compound yesterday morning.
He said only his wife has a duplicate key of the car. Two hours later, Castro said she was surprised by Greco’s revelations during that press conference that was supposedly called by his sister, Cebu Provincial Board Member Grecilda Sanchez-Zaballero.
“How can that be? I’ve been looking for that vehicle since Oct. 15. In fact, all police stations in Cebu City were notified about it. All along it was just with him?” Castro said in an interview at her office two hours after the press conference.
The prosecutor said the vehicle was stolen by two persons at a car wash station in barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City last Oct. 13.
She filed carnapping charges at the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office against a certain Maricel Gregory and an unidentified man who claimed ownership of the vehicle and took it away based on a car wash boy’s testimony.
Though Castro is paying for the vehicle by installment, she said she and Greco jointly own it.
She said Greco couldn’t secure a driver’s license due to a complaint filed against him at the Land Transportation in Benguet.
Today’s alleged carnapping incident bolstered Castro’s belief that the vehicle was taken by Zaballero. Castro said Greco texted and told her to get the car from Zaballero on the same day the vehicle went missing on Oct. 15.
The prosecutor showed reporters Greco’s text message, saying that the vehicle was with Zaballero.
“Greco’s claim that the vehicle was carnapped is nothing but scripted,” she said.
Castro said she will implead Zaballero as a respondent in the carnapping case pending before the prosecutors’ office. “She (Zaballero) wants publicity? I’m giving her bad publicity for free,” the feisty prosecutor said.
Castro will also file today six counts of libel against Zaballero for defamatory text messages the board member allegedly sent to her.
“I’m always ready to sue pants off of anyone who crosses my path or looks at me the wrong way,” she said./Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol
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