Cebu City is moving to fast-track the purchase of breath analyzers following public criticism over delays in alcohol testing in the fatal Banilad hit-and-run case.
Mayor Nestor Archival announced this week that the city government would immediately begin procurement and form a technical working group (TWG) to determine the number of units needed, their specifications, and areas for deployment.
Funding for the equipment will come from the city’s Peace and Order Program (POP), particularly allocations for police operations.
“We are studying this now so we can buy the units as soon as possible,” Archival said, noting that the POP will also provide technical recommendations.
The TWG will include representatives from the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), and the Cebu City Health Department to ensure proper coordination in enforcement and medical procedures.
The move comes after scrutiny over the alcohol test of 21-year-old Sean Andrew Pajarillo, accused in the February 8 hit-and-run in Barangay Banilad that killed 23-year-old Kingston Ralph Ko Cheng. Pajarillo tested negative for alcohol, but the test was conducted nearly 18 hours after the crash.
Police Lt. Col. Jose Los Baños, information officer of the CCPO, previously detailed the timeline: the crash occurred at around 12:53 a.m., and Pajarillo was admitted to a private hospital in Mandaue City at 1:50 a.m. At 2:50 p.m., Traffic Enforcement Unit personnel requested liquor and drug tests, which required the patient’s consent.
Authorities later discovered that the hospital lacked alcohol testing equipment.
The test was arranged at CCMC, but transferring Pajarillo took about an hour and a half due to the absence of an available ambulance.
The sobriety test was finally administered at 7:55 p.m., yielding a negative result.
Los Baños noted that the 18-hour interval between the crash and testing could have affected the results.
Archival acknowledged that the case highlighted Cebu City’s lack of breath analyzers, devices that provide immediate, on-site alcohol level readings.
In Pajarillo’s case, CCMC doctors relied on clinical assessment, and the certification that he was not intoxicated came from the attending physician, not a police-administered breath test.
“Now that we know this, we need the equipment,” Archival said, emphasizing that the city will ensure breath analyzers are available to prevent delays in future cases.
The mayor added that the city government will continue monitoring the Banilad case and maintain transparency as charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and damage to property are being prepared against Pajarillo. (LLP)
Photo from Nestor Archival/FB
