Cop who fired gun outside QC bar has expired license

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MANILA, Philippines — The license of the gun Police Lt. Col. Mark Julio Abong fired outside a bar in Barangay Laging Handa expired in 2019, according to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director, Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan.

Citing the Forensic Group, Maranan also revealed that ballistic examination results showed that the two gun shells recovered from the scene came from Abong’s gun.

“Based on record coming from the Civil Security Group (CSG) and Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO), the gun license that was confiscated was already expired during the incident,” Maranan said, speaking partly in Filipino, in an interview on Wednesday.

Maranan said he already signed a letter addressed to the FEO seeking to revoke Abong’s license to own and possess other firearms. Once processed, Abong would be ordered to surrender other guns registered under his name.

According to Maranan, Abong owned the gun he used during the bar commotion. The gun was taken to the PNP Crime Laboratory for examination, which will be used as evidence.

READ: QCPD: Decision on Abong’s bail petition to be released Nov. 29 or 30

READ: PNP: Abong’s dismissal order not yet implemented due to pending appeal

READ: QC-PLEB surprised Abong still active in PNP despite March dismissal order

Last Nov. 26, Abong was arrested for allegedly assaulting a bar server and harassing a customer by firing his gun twice.

He is currently in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, facing charges of illegal discharge of firearms and alarm and scandal, violating the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act concerning the Omnibus Election code.

Before this case, Abong was also involved in a hit-and-run case near Anonas Street in August 2022. He was charged with the death of tricycle driver Joel Larosa and the injury of his passenger.

Administrative complaints were also filed against him, and the Quezon City People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) found him guilty of “the grave offenses of misconduct, grave neglect of duty, and conduct unbecoming of a police officer with aggravating circumstances of employment of fraudulent means to conceal an offense.”

In line with this, the PLEB issued a ruling removing Abong from the service. However, the police said the dismissal order against Abong was not implemented due to a pending appeal.