Gun-toting student bullied wrong man

A gun-toting college student who was purportedly in a hurry to play “mercenary” in an Internet war game in Manila was arrested Thursday afternoon after taunting a motorist who turned out to be a policeman.

John Boy Guiller Agustin Jr., a freshman taking up business management at Manila Business College, was booked for illegal possession of a .38-cal. revolver and for assaulting an officer.

Police said he resisted arrest and had to be subdued by PO1 Dante Alejandrino of the Manila Police District’s mobile patrol unit, who encountered the 18-year-old student at around 4:30 p.m. at the corner of Oroquieta and San Lazaro Streets in Sta. Cruz.

Agustin was then walking toward his favorite Internet shop when a Mitsubishi Lancer got in his way. He allegedly banged the car with his hand in anger and threw dagger looks at the driver, who turned out to be Alejandrino in civilian clothes.

When Alejandrino got off the vehicle and introduced himself as a policeman, Agustin allegedly insulted him, saying he didn’t care if he was an officer.

Before he could draw his fully loaded revolver from his waist, Agustin was quickly disarmed by Alejandrino. The student then started kicking him, prompting the officer to cuff the student.

The teenager was charged Friday in the city prosecutor’s office. Interviewed at his holding cell, Agustin, a resident of Sta. Cruz, claimed that he merely found the gun in the house where his family used to live.

He said he had been carrying the gun outdoors just for kicks. “Trip lang. I only wanted to know what it felt like to carry a gun.”

But Agustin denied insulting the policeman and claimed that he surrendered the gun without resistance. “I was just in a hurry to get to the Internet shop. I wanted to get there right away so I could play Crossfire,” a shooting game where players portray mercenaries.