Former theme park exec eludes arrest

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT: The former top executive of Ocean Adventure marine theme park, charged and convicted by final judgment for violation of Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code, has eluded arrest. He had been ordered arrested by the Fourth Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Bataan.

Timothy Desmond, former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Ocean Adventure, was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of Violation of Article 172 in relation to Article 171, Paragraph 4, of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) after the judgment became final and executory.

Article 171, Paragraph 4, of the Revised Penal Code refers to making untruthful statements in a narration of facts, while Article 172 of the RPC refers to falsification by a private individual and use of falsified documents.

Members of the Bataan Philippine National Police, who arrived at Desmond’s home in Naval Magazine area near the theme park inside the Subic Bay Freeport on June 22, 2020, were unable to serve the arrest warrant issued by Presiding Judge Ludovino Joseph Augusto Tobias Jr. as the convicted felon was not in his home and could no longer be located.

According to the warrant, Desmond is to be arrested for the service of his sentence with a maximum period of three years, six months and 21 days in prison.

He is now considered a fugitive from justice and a hold departure order has been issued against him, stopping him from leaving the country, in another criminal case.