Gus Abelgas

Augusto "Gus" Abelgas^[1][2] (Tagalog: [gas ʔabɛlˈgas]; born October 22, 1962^[3]) is a Filipino broadcast journalist known for his work in S.O.C.O. (Scene of the Crime Operatives) and Gus Abelgas Forensics.

Gus Abelgas
Born	Augusto Abelgas (1962-10-22) October 22, 1962 (age 62)
Nationality	Filipino
Occupation	Journalist
Years active	1987–2020; 2023–present
Notable work	S.O.C.O.: Scene of the Crime Operatives Gus Abelgas Forensics
Spouse	Jo Lising ​ (died 2024)​

Early life and education

Abelgas was born to a poor family. His father worked as a driver and his mother worked as a laundry worker. Their family lived as illegal settlers in San Andres, Manila during his youth. At a young age, Abelgas worked as a newspaper boy to help his family.^[4]

For his collegiate studies, Abelgas pursued a bachelor's degree in journalism at the Lyceum of the Philippines University in Manila. Abelgas also finished law studies but he was not able to pass the bar examination.^[4]

Career

Prior to joining ABS-CBN, Abelgas worked in the Department of National Defense as a writer for Juan Ponce Enrile and as a correspondent for People's Journal, a tabloid newspaper before moving to television.^[4][5]

Abelgas joined ABS-CBN as early as 1987 as a member of the TV Patrol news team. He covered various natural disasters and events such as the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Abelgas later shifted his focus to investigative journalism.^[3]

He covered crimes as an anchor in True Crime, Gus Abelgas Nag-uulat and Private I.^[5] In S.O.C.O.: Scene of the Crime Operatives, he worked with police and interviewed crime witnesses.^[3] He also communicates with convicted and suspected criminals as part of his work in S.O.C.O. Of his own approach, Albegas said he talks with the suspect calmly. He has received death threats from people whom he helped imprison – this became frequent that Abelgas no longer finds it bothersome.^[6]

Abelgas also lent his voice in the 2018 fantasy comedy film Fantastica where he provided the voice of the Fairy Godmother, a live-action role portrayed by Bela Padilla. For the role, he secured permission from ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs.^[7][8]

On July 15, 2023, Abelgas returned to television after a 3-year hiatus, after he transferred to TV5 a few days before. He began hosting the program Gus Abelgas Forensics of One PH.^[9]

Personal life

Abelgas was married to Jocelyn Lising with whom he had two children. Lising was editor-in-chief at Pilipino Star Ngayon and Pang-Masa. Gus Abelgas became a widower following Lising's death on October 31, 2024.^[10]

Filmography

Film performances

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2018	Fantastica	Fairy Godmother	Voiceover-only role of a character portrayed by Bela Padilla; billed as special participation.

Television performances

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987–2020	TV Patrol
2001–2005	True Crime and Private I
2005–2020	S.O.C.O.: Scene of the Crime Operatives	Host
2023–present	Gus Abelgas Forensics