Police records on Bacal’s case contain ‘inconsistencies’

July 19, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Papers from the Cagayan de Oro Police Office (Cocpo) are narrating different versions on what actually happened when City Councilor Alden Bacal drove the vehicle that killed 15-year old Junrie “Babay” Balngit at Upper Dagong, Carmen last July 10, 2008, Atty. James Judith revealed.

“There are a lot of inconsistencies in them,” he said.

These records include a police blotter which was the version of the Balingit Family as recounted and signed by the victim’s aunt Jennifer B. Dolar while the other police blotter was Bacal’s version and signed by him that same day July 10, 2008.

Another version of the entire incident was also put into record as a “Traffic Accident Investigation Report” dated July 11, 2008 and signed by Traffic Investigator Senior Police Officer 2 Rogelio Quijano Borromeo Jr. and Police Inspector Rogelio Ebajay Bonggo.

These three documents were supposed to be annexes to the complaint affidavit of Regie Balingit, the mother of the victim, which was to be filed at the City Prosecutor’s Office together with the affidavits of witnesses Pedro Aninipoc, Jr. and Maricar Amper.

Balingit-Dolar’s police blotter narrated how the young Balingit was riding his bicycle along the Canitoan road and was hit by a maroon Toyota Revo bearing plate number KCJ 161 driven by Bacal who was “under the influence of liquor” at that time.

It also contained how the teenager’s body was severely injured but that Bacal walked away from the scene without offering any help to the victim who later was declared dead by the doctors at the JR Borja Memorial City Hospital.

However, Bacal’s police blotter was only a short narration of how he hit a teenager who was riding a bicycle at the same road where he was traversing that early Thursday morning.

It recounted how the city councilor was ascending the road when suddenly the bicyclist Balingit appeared on his sight prompting him to swerve to his left to prevent hitting the latter who at that same moment also tried to evade colliding with his vehicle and instead rammed straight into his direction.

Bacal said his vehicle injured the bicyclist and rammed into the roadside and then turned left side down with him also sustaining injuries himself.

Borromeo and Bonggo said their report covers two matters to be investigated – “to determine the cause of the accident, the damages incurred of the involved vehicle and the possible liabilities of the driver involved” and “to determine the injuries sustained by involved person.”

There “Facts of the Case” was that the vehicular accident occurred at about 4:45 am of July 10, 2008 at Landfill, Zayas, Carmen this city, involving a Toyota Revo Wagon bearing plate number KCJ 171 owned and driven by Alden Dacanay Bacal of Block 13, Soldier’s Hill Subdivision, this city and a holder of license No. KO2-04-099872 against bicyclist Balingit a minor from Zone 8, Upper Dagong, Carmen this city.

The “Discussion” portion of their report included 10 paragraphs that basically narrated the same version rendered by Bacal particularly on how it was the front portion of Bacal’s vehicle that collided with the front portion of Balingit’s bicycle “thus causing damages to both contact portions.”

And that the accident took place when “herein bicyclist appeared on sight of the said driver that prompted him to swerved into his left to prevent from hitting said bicyclist but same also evaded and went it not the direction of vehicle there and then the collision happened and said vehicle rammed into the road side and then turned left side where it finally rested.”

As a result of the incident the bicyclist sustained serious injuries and was “rushed by a concerned citizen to J.R. Borja Memorial City Hospital for treatment” but was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital by the attending physician and thus transferred to the Bollozos Funeral Parlor.

In paragraph nine of their report, Borromeo and Bonggo said Bacal’s vehicle was temporarily impounded at the City Impounding and Towing Unit “for safekeeping while the driver, who also sustained injuries upon his person left the area for his safety.”

Both police officers said Bacal “came and voluntarily submitted himself to the Carmen Police Station No. 4 after he went to the house of City Vice Mayor Hon. Vicente Yap Emano, for the purpose of surrendering.”

They said Bacal was then turned over to the Maharlika Headquarters “for custodial investigation.”

“After the prescribed reglementary period he was also released from Police Custody for the reason that the complainant failed to appear before the office in order to file a formal complaint against him for Reckless Imprudence Resulting to Homicide,” their investigation report reads.

As their conclusion, the two officers said the “point of impact was established at the lane occupied by the bicyclist.”

Under the portion “Recommendation,” the placed a sentence that reads: “ For insurance claims and issued for whatever legal purposes it may serve.”

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Written by admin · Filed Under Cagayan de Oro