‘Sabong’ debt gets Pangasinan cop in hot water

STO. TOMAS, Pangasinan — For refusing to pay his debt and causing a stampede in a cockpit arena when he drew his gun over the weekend, a policeman assigned to the Special Action Force will be facing criminal and administrative cases that might lead to his expulsion from the service.

Inspector Gerald Primicias Gamboa, 25, of Poblacion East, in nearby Bautista town, is now facing charges of grave threats and another administrative complaint after the incident over the weekend.

Town police director Chief Inspector Johnny Bacbac told The STAR in a phone interview that they are set to file the charges today at the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Sto. Tomas-Villasis.

The administrative case will be filed by the local police either at the People’s Law Enforcement Board or the Internal Affairs Service of the Philippine National Police or the Civil Service Commission.

The incident happened around 10 p.m. Friday when about 1,000 conckfight afficionados converged at the Riverside Coliseum in Barangay Salvacion here for the finals of the prestigious Gamefowl Breeders Association of Pangasinan.

The association counts among its members Pangasinan politicians and prominent businessmen in the province.

When invited to the police station for interrogation, Gamboa denied the allegations that he refused to pay his bet but admitted that he lost his temper because other bettors provoked him.

Four bettors executed statements that it was the policeman who caused the chaos. Another one, town councilor Gaudencio Ordoño Jr. and a certain Manny Ober swore in that the suspect tried to poke his 9 mm service firearm at them.

Gamboa voluntarily surrendered while his service firearm and his identification card were confiscated the police.