A DRUNK police officer in Sogod, Cebu, was stripped of his firearm and badge after allegedly assaulting a retired officer and punching a responding cop in a cockpit.
Police Captain Dun Blane Tabares, spokesperson for the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), identified the officer as Police Corporal Leovic Coming Bracero, assigned to the Talisay City Police Station.
Bracero was caught drunk and causing a commotion inside a cockpit arena in Sogod. He is now facing both criminal and administrative charges.
Criminally, Bracero is charged with direct assault for allegedly punching a fellow officer, and alarm and scandal for disrupting peace. Administratively, he is being investigated for entering a gambling establishment—an act strictly prohibited among police officers.
Prohibitions
Tabares said all members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are strictly barred from entering cockpits and other gambling venues. Violations of this policy, he noted, could lead to dismissal from service.
CPPO Provincial Director Police Colonel Christopher Bermudez vowed to take firm action against the erring officer.
According to the standing PNP memorandum circular, police personnel are strictly prohibited from participating in or even entering gambling venues such as cockpits and casinos.
Violators face severe penalties, including outright dismissal from service. / AYB