Charges slapped on former QC police officer for firing gun outside restobar

Multiple complaints of alarm and scandal, physical injuries, slander, and violation of the gun ban in relation to the Omnibus Election Code were filed against P/Lt.Col. Mark Julio Abong, who was nabbed early morning Sunday for rowdiness and firing his gun outside a bar in Quezon City.

Quezon City Police District Director Red Maranan reported that Abong was already inquested with the charges before the Quezon City Prosecutor also Sunday night and is still in custody of the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit.

Maranan confirmed that Abong was a former QCPD-CIDU chief and station commander who tried to conceal his involvement in a freak road accident after his vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run incident, killing a tricycle driver and injuring a passenger for drunk driving.

Abong was nabbed by the same unit operatives for assaulting a waiter and firing a gun twice outside a bar along Scout Rallos Street in Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Abong, who is now assigned to the PNP headquarters' legal service department, was reportedly drunk and had an argument with a fellow customer.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, on the other hand, requested Maranan to conduct a thorough probe on Abong as he was already dismissed by the People's Law Enforcement Board in March 2023 over the first incident.

Belmonte said the PLEB dismissed Abong after he was found guilty of multiple charges of grave misconduct, grave neglect of duty, and conduct unbecoming of a police officer with the aggravating circumstance of employment of fraudulent means to conceal an offense.

"Kasabay nito, nais nating hilingin na bigyang-linaw ng liderato ng QCPD at PNP kung ano ang estado ni Abong na dating taga-QCPD lalo na't ito ay inalis na sa serbisyo ng QC PLEB," Belmonte said in a statement.

"Matatandaang pinapurihan ko noon ang ating QC PLEB, sa pangunguna ng Executive Officer nito na si Atty. Rafael Calinisan, sa kanilang mabilis, patas at walang takot na desisyon tungkol dito. Inapela ni Abong ang desisyon sa Regional Appelate Board ng Napolcom pero kinatigan nito ang desisyon ng PLEB sa kanilang desisyon noong August 2023," Belmonte added.

"Ayon pa sa PLEB, immediately executory ang kanilang desisyon. Ito ang nakasaad sa Republic Act Nos. 6975 at 8551, lalo na ang Napolcom Memorandum Circulars 2019 – 005 at 2016 – 002, na nagsasabing ang pagpataw ng dismissal ay dapat ipatupad agad ng PNP, kahit may pending appeal pa man ang pulis na nasasangkot. Klaro ang isinasaad ng batas. Nais nating tiyakin sa mga negosyante sa Quezon City na patuloy na poprotektahan ng lokal na pamahalaan ang inyong mga negosyo at tauhan. Ang pangangalaga sa inyong kapakanan ay krusyal sa patuloy na pag-unlad ng ating lungsod.
Mariin nating kinokondena ang anumang insidente ng karahasan, lalo na ang pagmamalabis sa tungkulin ng isang lingkod-bayan. Ang tsapa ay hindi hindi permiso sa pang-aabuso. Walang puwang ang ganitong gawi sa ating lungsod," Belmonte stressed.