FOR “forgetting” to have a retired colonel responsible for an accident undergo a liquor test, a traffic investigator will be relieved to Siquijor Province today.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Ronald Roderos said PO3 Anthony Deligero’s orders will take effect today and he will serve as traffic investigator in the province.
Deligero failed to have retired Col. Benjamin Miaga undergo a liquor test after the accident as he got busy attending to the hospital needs of the wounded.
“The Cebu City Medical Center is very near the Citom office. Right then and there, he should have led Miaga to take the liquor test and then after, he could go to the hospitals to see to the victims,” Roderos said in a news conference yesterday.
Roderos also ordered Cebu City Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador to investigate Supt. Mariano Batiancela, chief of the Cebu City Traffic Group, his deputy Senior Insp. Marcial Mecarandayo and shift supervisors Michael Beltran and Ranulfo Espina.
Comendador, in a separate interview, defended PO3 Anthony Deligero and the Traffic Section for deciding not to detain Miaga after the vehicular accident last Sunday night.
Comendador said the traffic section under Batiancela properly responded when the incident happened. He, however, said that in investigating the incident, Deligero “overlooked” the requirement for Miaga to undergo a liquor test.
Comendador confirmed that Deligero is facing an investigation for simple neglect of duty.
Roderos ordered the investigation on Batiancela after he learned that there was no supervisor on duty when the accident that killed one retiree and wounded six others occurred.
Batiancela filed for emergency leave after his father died and left Mecarandayo in charge. The night duty supervisor designated was Espina. However, Espina reportedly had a verbal agreement with Batiancela that he would take Sunday off.
Lesson
Mecarandayo reportedly only learned of the accident at the PRO 7 headquarters the next day.
Roderos got irked when he learned no one was in charge.
He said Batiancela will be investigated for command responsibility in not being able to ensure the duties are done even in his absence.
Roderos added that Deligero will be relieved “to teach him a lesson.”
When the Regional Special Training Unit is ready next month, Roderos said Deligero will be made to undergo leadership skills training to “give him a sense of duty and focus” in carrying out his duties.
Roderos explained the relief was also to prevent any whitewash in the investigation. He said Batiancela should designate another investigator to handle Miaga’s case.
Deliverance
Contrary to Deligero’s claim that no complaint will be filed if the victim’s next of kin does not want to pursue a case, Roderos said the PNP will serve as a nominal complainant and that a case must be filed because the incident resulted in homicide.
He pointed out that only the court could determine if Miaga should be held responsible.
Also yesterday, the regional chaplain, Supt. Lucio Rosaroso, conducted a deliverance rite at the PRO 7 quadrangle, where the accident took place. Rosaroso asked those present, police officials and retirees, to also pray for those still recuperating from the accident.
Comendador, meanwhile, declined to comment if Deligero committed any lapses in conducting the investigation. He said he did not want to preempt the investigation.
In some instances, Comendador said, a liquor test on a person involved in a vehicular accident is important because drunkenness is considered an aggravating circumstance.
A liquor test, though, is not mandatory, especially if the person involved owned up responsibility for the incident.
As of yesterday, Comendador said, none from the families of the seven victims, including the family of retired police inspector Florefino Lapinid, decided to file a complaint.
Lapinid died at the hospital several hours after the accident.
On the reported lack of a shift supervisor, Comendador said every shift has a designated supervisor. Last Sunday, the designated supervisor was Insp. Ranulfo Espina.
Espina, however, took his day off during that weekend because he has been rendering duties as night shift supervisor for one week already, Comendador said.
In the absence of a shift supervisor, Comendador said, the designated staff duty officer of the CCPO may decide as the need arises. (MEA/JTG)
