Labra says Innovas need 'blessing' to ward off evil spirits

Toyota Innova patrol cars have to be "blessed by a priest to avoid further accidents that may have been the works of the devil."

This was the suggestion of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch chief, Police Supt. Paul Labra yesterday after a series of accidents involving these police cars the city government had provided to the Cebu City Police Office.

Also, he suggested that drivers - may they be policemen or civilian drivers - have to undergo training on tactical driving to avoid another accident.

Labra said he will forward all his suggestions to the city government so that the concern would be acted upon immediately.

Labra sees three factors why the Innovas figured in accidents. First, he finds drivers to have lacked the proper training. Second, awareness must not have been raised for the public to know that it is best for them to avoid getting any closer to patrol cars responding to alarms. And third, these Innovas have never been "blessed by a priest".

CCPO director Patrocinio Comendador also said yesterday that even before the Innovas figured in accidents, the Aboitiz Foundation already volunteered to provide a seminar on enhanced driving to drivers of the 20 Innova cars.

Comendador said that after an Innova patrol car figured in an accident at the South Coastal Road involving two policemen who were taken to the hospital for serious injuries, he immediately ordered for an investigation on all accidents involving the Innovas.

Comendador made this so that administrative charges may be filed against "those proven to be negligent in their job."

But based on his observation, he is convinced that incidents involving Innova patrol cars were purely accidents, except for an Innova car which was driven to a motel here in the city by a rookie cop to drop his superior and the latter's girlfriend. As the rookie cop drove out of the motel, the vehicle was hit by a taxicab. - Flor Z. Perolina/MEEV