PDEA boss probed for ‘gun duel threat’

A Cebu radio reporter has filed a complaint against an official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) who got irked in an interview and purportedly challenged him to a gun duel.

Guamittos Logroño, a reporter of radio dySS and news correspondent of Sun.Star SuperBalita, accused PDEA-7 Deputy Regional Director Esperidion Javier of “harassing and threatening” him during a phone interview last Nov. 27.

The Internal Affairs Service of the PDEA central office in Manila sent investigators to Cebu to start an inquiry motu proprio soon after reports of the encounter were broadcast.

In an affidavit, Logroño said he called up the PDEA official to get his comment on a report about some PDEA agents who made a warrantless raid of a drug den in barangay Pahina Central in Cebu City.

His query to Javier about what action he would take against the PDEA-7 agents irked the official who allegedly raised his voice and said “Ano ba, talaga magkaibigan tayo o hindi? Kong gusto mo, draw tayo? Magbarilan na lang tayo? (What is this – are we really friends or not? If you want, shall we have a gun duel? Do we shoot it out?)

“At that point, I was so shocked and scared after what Javier told me, knowing his background as a former member of the Philippine Marines and I knew that he was capable of doing me harm,” Logroño said.

In a press conference the next day on Nov. 28, Javier denied threatening the reporter over the phone. The PDEA official said that if he really challenged the reporter to a duel, he would apologize.

Logroño last Wednesday submitted his affidavit with a resolution of the Defense PNP Press Corps (DEPP) which formally sought an inquiry.

PDEA investigators who visited Cebu were able to speak with Guam, DEPP president Chito Aragon and vice president Arnold Bustamante who earlier discussed the issue with members of the police beat reporters’ organization.

The day after DEPP met, Logroño and other reporters went to Javier’s office to interview him.

“When Javier came out of his office, he was carrying his service firearm in his side waist and was anxiously looking for me, saying “Sino sa inyo si super Guam Logroño?” said the reporter. (Who among you here is super Guam Logroño?)./Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol