Cop dares superior to a duel, is jailed

A 40-year-old policeman was jailed yesterday for challenging his immediate superior to a gun duel following a heated argument over their station’s missing two-way radio.

Police Officer 3 Victoriano Reyes Jr. of the Sta. Mesa police, assigned to the Plaza Avelino sub-station, was ordered disarmed and arrested for what could have been a bloody Black Saturday at the Manila police, had not cooler heads intervened.

Based on the investigation report of Senior Police Office 1 Danilo Salonga of the Western Police District-General Assignment Section (WPD-GAS), Reyes drew his service pistol and challenged Sta. Mesa’s Plaza Avelino sub-station commander, Inspector Elpidio Lavilla, 53, to a gun fight inside the police office about 1 p.m. last Saturday.

The two, however, were pacified by other lawmen.

The incident later reached the attention of Sta. Mesa police chief, Superintendent Napoleon Pascua, who instantly ordered the disarming of Reyes, Lavilla, on the other hand, filed an assault charge against his subordinate resulting in his arrest and detention.

It was learned that the altercation erupted after Reyes blew his top when Lavilla inquired about his missing two-way hand-held radio. Reyes reportedly accused the sub-station commander of picking on him all the time.

Reyes is now detained at the WPD integrated jail, where other arrested criminal suspects are jailed. Bail was set by the Manila Prosecutor’s Office at P12,000.