CCPO says cop failed to respond to alarm

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch said they have established that SPO1 Bartolome Fajardo, the policeman who was accused of being disrespectful to a priest, failed to respond to an alarm in Barangay Poblacion, Pinamungajan town, last Sunday evening.

This was opposite to what Fajardo, team leader of the station’s alert team, claimed that he immediately responded the alarm when Fr. Mark Verniso, assistant parish priest of the Sta. Monica Parish, went to the police station for assistance.

PIDMB deputy Julius Ompad said that there was no trouble alarm recorded in the journal of the Pinamungajan Police Station when they went there on Wednesday.

“Ako gyud gi-scan and there was no trouble alarm recorded, so meaning he failed to respond to it,” Ompad said.

As to the allegation of Fajardo that Verniso was drunk when the latter appeared at the police station, Ompad claimed that there was no sign that the priest was drunk based on his observation and the way he answered his questions.

Ompad said Verniso admitted to him that Fajardo was sleeping when he arrived and greeted him. He added that the policeman even started to raise his voice but managed to calm down when the priest introduced himself.

“The priest said didto pa’y lantay ug unlan so posible natulog gyud,” Ompad said, adding that Fajardo, who was on duty that time, was not even in complete uniform.

Upon further investigation, the PIDMB found out that the alarm took place about a hundred meters away from the police station.

Nobody was around at the time except for Fajardo since the police and the town’s priests were having a basketball tournament for the town’s sportsfest.

Pinamungajan Police Station chief Sr. Insp. Leo Logroño claimed that he was sleeping inside his room and nobody called him during the altercation of the two.

“Stay-in man ko, diha ra pud ko sa sulod sa kwarto gani lang wala’y nipukaw nako nga mao na diay na’y nahitabo,” he said.

Effective Monday, Fajardo will be assigned to the Provincial Public Safety Company as ordered by Cebu Provincial Police Office director Sr. Supt. Patroci-nio Comendador. — (FREEMAN)