Found Drunk While On Duty?: CPPO policeman faces AWOL raps

A policeman who was allegedly found drunk while on duty at the Cebu Provincial Police headquarters will be declared AWOL (absent without official leave), that is if he failed to report to his superiors today, Supt. Erson Digal, deputy head for operations, said yesterday. 

Police records stated that SPO1 Victor Agang on Wednesday night reported to his post at the CPPO guardhouse allegedly drunk and even showed off his .45 caliber pistol that sowed “fear and panic to people who went inside the camp.”

Digal, upon the instruction of CPPO director Carmelo Valmoria, said that Agang has been given time until today to report to the CPPO headquarters and explain his conduct or else he will be declared AWOL.

Agang was previously assigned to the Tabuelan Police station but was later moved to the CPPO headquarters after he was investigated for an incident inside the town cockpit where he fired an M-16 rifle and shot a defeated candidate for barangay captain. The policeman was reportedly drunk at the time also.

Digal quoted some Tabuelan policemen’s description of Agang as the kind of man who gets wayward in his actions when drunk. “Ingon ani nga pulis dili angayan pasanayon sa atong hanay kay mao ra ni ang makaguba sa imahin sa PNP,” he said.

Agang has been facing also other charges of serious neglect of duty, oral defamation, and insubordination when he allegedly dared to a fistfight Sr. Insp. Crisanto Duque, the official in charged of policemen who were relieved of their regular assignments and moved to the CPPO headquarters.

Police accounts said that the incident reportedly took place when Duque and his companion, a certain John Sanchez, arrived at the headquarters. Agang, holding a gun, allegedly confronted Duque by saying, “Unsa may akong sala, sir?” Duque just advised Agang to calm down and take a rest but the latter allegedly blurted out: “Ikaw gud sir, unsa may gusto nimo?”

To avoid further trouble, Duque decided to ignore Agang then entered his office. Sanchez however had his vehicle stuck in the middle of a muddy area of the camp. He alleged that, while he was maneuvering to drive out of the place, he saw a gun-toting Agang approached him. Nothing happened though as Sanchez was able to drive out of the camp before Agang could go near him.

Valmoria then ordered Duque to disarm Agang and bring him to the PNP Crime Laboratory for a liquor test but the latter alleged resisted and challenged Duque instead to a fistfight.

“Unsa may imong gusto? Dili ko pa liquor test kay mo-konsulta pa ko ako abugado!” Agang shouted according to Duque. When Duque tried again to disarm Agang, the latter alleged jumped out of the fence at the back of the headquarters. — Garry B. Lao/RAE