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Date: 04 October 2013
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — A rookie policeman has been arrested for firing a gun outside a barracks at the headquarters of the Philippine National Police at Camp Crame in the middle of the night, officials said Thursday.

Assistant Quezon City prosecutor Conrado Rosario said he has recommended the indictment of Police Officer 1 Paul Ivan Talagtag, 27, on charges of illegal possession of firearms, violating the election gun ban, and alarm and scandal.

It was unclear why Talagtag fired his weapon, a .40-caliber Glock 23 pistol,  near the barracks of the Headquarters Support Service of the Camp Management Services Unit in at Camp Crame at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday.

“There is probable cause to indict the respondent for the crime charged because he fired his handgun in the middle of the night, thus disturbing the peace, and he has no license to carry the said firearm,” Rosario said in a resolution he issued after an inquest.

Talagtag, reportedly assigned to the police  in San Mateo, Rizal, was arrested on the basis of a complaint made by Senior Police Officer 1 Rodolfo Cayabyab of the Headquarters Support Service Group  in Camp Crame.

Case investigator Senior Police Officer 1 Eric Lazo said Cayabyab was sleeping in  his quarters when he was jolted awake by a gunshot. When he went out to investigate, he saw several men milling around Talagtag, who had a fired a shot into the ground near his feet, Lazo said. Talagtag allegedly tried to hide the gun between his thighs.

Lazo said Cayabyab invited Talagtag for questioning  but the rookie was unable to present any document showing he was authorized to carry the weapon, thus he was turned over to the Quezon City Police for investigation.