Actor lands in jail

MANILA, Philippines - Television host and singer Billy Joe Crawford ended up in jail after he went berserk at a police station in Taguig City and kicked its glass door early yesterday morning.

He was detained for malicious mischief, Southern Police District director Chief Superintendent Jose Erwin Villacorte said.

Reports said the drunk Crawford and a woman companion arrived at the Taguig police community precinct 7 in Bonifacio Global City at around 4 a.m. supposedly to ask for help.

He reportedly told two female police officers that he had a problem and he was looking for a detention cell.

When they told him there was no detention facility in the precinct and that he would be escorted to the Taguig police headquarters, Crawford went wild and kicked the glass door of the police station.          

The policewomen tried to calm him down but to no avail, prompting them to seek reinforcement.

When a mobile patrol arrived to arrest him, the host-singer allegedly engaged lawmen in a scuffle before he was subdued and handcuffed.

Crawford was detained at the Taguig police headquarters. Charges of malicious mischief, resisting arrest and direct assault will be filed against him, police said.

Police said his unidentified woman companion left following his arrest.

Crawford was brought to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory at Camp Crame for a medical checkup.

He attended the Star Magic Ball at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel Saturday night with his “Showtime” co-host and girlfriend Coleen Garcia before he was jailed.

In an interview posted on ABS-CBN’s website, the TV host said he had apologized to the police officers for his actions.

“It was my fault. Pero wala akong nasaktan, wala akong tinulak, wala akong tinamaan kundi ‘yung salamin, (But I did not hurt or push anyone, I only hit the glass door),” he said.

“To be honest with you, I don’t see anything wrong with what I did. It was my fault for actually being aggressive. Good thing it didn’t happen in a bar or anywhere else. It happened in a precinct. The reason why is because I knew for a fact I needed to be in a controlled environment. I apologized to the officers if I said anything derogatory or anything else,” he added.

Crawford, who admitted to have been drinking, said he went to the police station because he was “stressed out by certain situations.”

No drug test for Crawford

Villacorte said Crawford was spared from any drug test since he was not arrested for a drug-related offense.

“His case is not drug-related that’s why he did not undergo drug test,” he said.

The police official said results of his medical test indicated he was OK.

Crawford was brought back to the Taguig police headquarters after undergoing medical checkup at Camp Crame. –With Cecille Suerte Felipe