Talisay Police Chief Dismisses Motorcycle ‘Cannibalization’

Saying that there are no complaints of missing motor parts from owners, Talisay City Acting Police Chief Resty Santos, dismissed the investigation on the allegation.

“Since, this office did not receive any complaints of missing parts from owners of the reported motorcycles that were in the custody of the Talisay Police Office pertaining the issue of ‘cannibalization of their vehicles..wherefore…the herein investigator humbly and respectfully recommends that this instant issue be considered as dropped and closed,” read the memorandum of Santos dated October 27.

The three-page document was submitted to the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director.

Santos’ investigation on alleged cannibalization of impounded motor vehicles came after the CPPO director himself radioed his office following a news report published by The Freeman Metro last Oct. 23 entitled “Talisay City Councilor to investigate cannibalization of impounded motorcycles.”

The article was written by Banat News and The Freeman reporter Brenda Batuto, who was able to secure a copy of the video of a male caught on camera while removing parts of the impounded motorcycles. The video appears to be taken from inside the Talisay City Police Station, just a few steps from the chief’s office.

But Santos said that what was seen on the video was a field training policeman and augmented PNP personnel from CPPO he instructed to conduct inventory of all confiscated motorcycles “including chasis and engine numbers” following an order from the headquarters.

“P/Insp Al Pascual, deputy chief of police, instructed them to wear civilian clothes because some of the motorcycles that were stored in the impounding area for how many years were bound to be filthy,” read Santos’ report.

In the video, a male of about 5 feet in height was busy taking away motor parts in at least one motorcycles. He then brought the parts away from the impounding area outside the range of the camera.

Santos maintained that the news report has “no sufficient grounds” to state that the motorcycles were removed of their parts as they have retained all these from the time he assumed post in July 1 this year “up to the present.”

“The foregoing discussions and findings, there are vivid indications that the investigator concluded that this issue was exaggerated and may be misinterpreted by the onlookers, bystanders and other concerned citizens…” he said.

Meanwhile, following the said incident,City Mayor Johnny V. Delos Reyes issued a statement asking from the CPPO to replace Santos because of lack of trust and confidence.