Malabon cop, arrested for drugs, faces absenteeism raps

MANILA, Philippines - A Malabon City policeman, arrested in Makati Wednesday night for carrying shabu and an unlicensed gun, is also facing administrative charges for absenteeism, an official said yesterday.

Malabon police chief Senior Superintendent Severino Abad Jr. told The STAR that Police Officer 1 Jomar Clemente is the subject of a pre-charge evaluation filed by his immediate superior, Chief Inspector Gregorio Catacutan, on Nov. 6, 2013.

Abad said Clemente has been intermittently reporting for work since October 2013. Records from the Malabon police station show that he did not report for work half the time in December 2013 and last January.

A police officer who worked with Clemente said they suspected that “something was wrong with him but we did not know he was into drugs.”

Abad said Clemente – who is being held at the Makati police headquarters – could file for bail “but we would make sure that he does not go back to the service.”