Cebu City cop accused of rape, torture of women kills himself

Police staff sergeant Celso Colita shot himself dead inside the comfort room of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) in Barangay Basak, Cebu City late evening Monday, April 19.

This was confirmed by Central Visayas RPDEU chief Police Major Glenn Hife in a live-streamed interview by HelpTV Cebu Monday night. Hife said he had the chance to interview Colita before the cop shot himself.

On Tuesday morning, April 20, Hife said in another live-streamed interview with Cebu Daily News: “Di gyud to foul play. Di ko kaingun nga foul play to kay iya gyud to gipatay iyang kaugalingon,” he said. (That wasn’t foul play. I couldn’t say that it was foul play because he really killed himself.)

This happened only hours after Ritchie “Miles” Nepomuceno, a victim who accused Colita of rape and torture, was also shot dead by unidentified assailants along N. Bacalso Avenue, in Cebu City.

“While I was conducting the interview, binanggit ko sa kanya ngayon kung alam na ba niya na Miles Nepomuceno was just ambushed kanina. Hindi na siya umimik,” Hife said.

(While I was conducting the interview, I asked him then if he knew that Miles Nepomuceno had just been ambushed recently. He no longer spoke.)

Toilet break

Hife even told Colita that they had “information” on Colita’s involvement in illegal drug activities but the cop simply asked Hife if he could go to the toilet, and Hife agreed. 

Moments later, a gunshot was heard inside the toilet of the RPDEU and it was there that Hife saw Colita drenched in his own blood.

“Nakaprone position na at may .45 caliber pistol na sa tabi niya (He was in prone position with a .45 caliber pistol beside him),” Hife said.

Hife said that Colita was brought to a nearby hospital but was already dead on arrival. 

While investigation is ongoing, the RPDEU chief said that they still do not know where Colita got his gun even though all firearms issued to him had been withdrawn.

Hife said it is possible Colita had his own personal firearm which he carried with him that day and which he used to kill himself.

As of writing, the 10 other cops involved in the alleged torture and rape of the first two victims who came forward are still being kept under strict supervision at the barracks of the Regional Headquarters Support Unit (RHSU) in Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr, Cebu City. – Rappler.com