Top cop charged for deadly road mishap

By Felipe V Celino 

 

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Charges for reckless imprudence resulting in double homicide, multiple serious physical injuries and damage to property were filed Thursday afternoon against Police Captain Alcer Monsera, the officer-in-charge (OIC) of Dumalag Municipal Police Station.

Police Captain Gregg Anthony Salbang, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Ivisan Municipal Police Station, said the charges were filed before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor.

Salbang said the charges ended up in regular filing because some of the important documents like the death certificates were not available in time for the inquest proceedings.

Investigation by the Ivisan police indicated that Monsera himself drove the Mitsubishi Montero vehicle that crashed into an ambulance, killing two emergency responders.

Initially, witnesses claimed that a woman who was later identified as Romelyn Baldado, 19, was the driver of the vehicle.

Salbang encouraged other witnesses to cooperate with the police.

Meanwhile, Police Colonel Julio Gustilo Jr., Capiz police director, ordered the administrative relief of Monsera as OIC of Dumalag police station.

Gustilo said Monsera cannot immediately return to his post after being discharged from the hospital as he will be placed at the Provincial Holding and Accounting Unit of Capiz Police Provincial Office (CPPO) while waiting for the results of the investigation.

Gustilo assured the families of the victims that proper investigation will be conducted to determine who is at fault.

He added that there will be no white-washing or cover-up in the investigation on the road vehicular accident at Brgy. Ondoy, Ivisan, Capiz Monday evening which killed two frontliners and injured four others, including the police chief of Dumalag town.

The fatalities were ambulance driver Darius Yap and Ernie Fulgencio.

Injured were John Rey Castillon, 29, of Barangay Poblacion Norte, Sigma, Capiz; Captain Alcer Moncera, police chief of Dumalag, Capiz; Romelyn Gondao Baldado, 19, of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental and Oliver Clarito Aguihap, 21, of Barangay Culajao, Roxas City.

The Ivisan police reported that the ambulance was headed towards Roxas City to fetch Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROF) at the Villareal Stadium while the SUV was on its way to Sigma town.

The accident happened Monday night. The SUV allegedly veered towards the opposite lane and hit the approaching ambulance.