GenSan cop charged for grave threats, physical injury

GEN. SANTOS CITY -- A police officer here is in hot water after a security guard of a casino he repeatedly threatened filed charges of grave threat, slight physical injury and grave misconduct. Police
Officer 1 Rasel Pepugal Blabagno Jr, assigned with the GenSan PoliceMobile Patrol Unit (MPU), was charged before the Office of the City
Prosecutor in General Santos City by Crispin Bello Ugalde, a
security guard on duty at Tiera Montana Hotel.This as PRO-12 Regional Director Chief Supt.Marcelo C. Morales strongly condemned Blabagno's act.Morales, in a statement, stressedhe would not tolerate any misconduct of his subordinate and appropriate disciplinary action, over and above filing of criminal charges, against the suspect.Blabagno was already relieved from MPU and re-assigned to Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (RPHAU). He was alsoplaced under restriction inside the camp effective January 26, 2018 while he is under investigation on the charges filed against him.In his statement, Ugalde said at dawn of January 23, he noticedPO1
Blabagno, already drunk,went out from E-Game Casino and stood at the hotel entrance, presumablywaiting for somebody.Ugalde claimed that Blabagno later approached and threatened him for unknown reason.Ugalde said Blabagno suddenly
pulled his gun and cocked it in front of him.The security guard showing no resistance to the police officer was surprised when Blabagno hit him in his stomach three times while the police officer was holding his issued pistol.To avoid complicating the incident with the police officer, Ugalde walked toward the E-Games Casinobut claimed Blabagno followed him while brandishing his firearm and confronted Ugalde again. This time Ugalde claimed he was slapped by Blabagno and threatened him anew. (Editor's note) In a statement released by PRO-12 information office, the side of Blabagno was not presented.Media efforts to interview him failed.