CCPO set to investigate pyro blast in police car

The Cebu City Police Office will be conducting its own investigation on two policemen assigned to the City Traffic Operations Management after firecrackers went off in their patrol car last December 31.  This despite the announcement of the Citom Board that they will also conduct their own inquiry into the incident.

City police chief Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador directed the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch to look into the incident involving Insp. Michael Angelo Beltran and PO3 Romeo Cabrera who were with two civilian traffic enforcers in the damaged Toyota Revo.

The investigation will include how the vehicle got to barangay Talamban when they were said to be heading to Camp Sotero Cabahug to turn over confiscated firecrackers they seized from the downtown area earlier that day.

Comendador also wants his men to give a clear picture of what set the firecrackers off in the backseat of the said patrol car after conflicting reports that came out of the official spot report of the incident and news reports.

“Considering this involved our personnel, I tasked the CIIB to conduct an investigation to find out whether it is an accurate report,” Comendador said.

In the report submitted by Beltran to the operations branch of the CCPO, they were about to deposit sacks of firecrackers to CCPO headquarters when upon reaching Mango Avenue they were forced to chase two men onboard a motorcycle for a traffic violation.  The chase reportedly reached Talamban where the said firecrackers reportedly started exploding.

But in news reports, Beltran was said to have told Citom officials that he was filling the engine with coolant when the firecrackers started exploding.

“Kung namakak sila, that is dishonesty.  In the government service dishonesty is a major offense and serious offenses are punishable by dismissal from the service,” Comendador warned.

Comendador however confirmed that the two policemen were also included in the directive he issued to confiscate firecrackers that day.   — Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP