Wisedog

Wisedog (a spoof of Wiseguy) is an adventure story arc of the Philippine comic strip series "Pugad Baboy", created by Pol Medina Jr. and originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. This particular story arc lasts 17 strips long. In 1992, the story arc was reprinted in "Pugad Baboy 3", the third book compilation of the comic strip series.

ynopsis

A spate of pet dog disappearances has the Pugad Baboy residents worried; a big-time dognapper is suspected to be the culprit. They finally bring in a "deep penetration agent" from the OCB (Organized Canine Bureau, a spoof of the Organized Crime Bureau, a fictional branch of the FBI in the "Wiseguy" TV program) to investigate the incidents - Polgas, alias "Wisedog". To maintain communication with HQ, Tata Mads' son, Asonel, alias "Safeguard" (a spoof of "Lifeguard", Vinnie Terranova's contact in "Wiseguy") is assigned to be Wisedog's contact.

Wisedog pretends to be a stray dog and is immediately caught by the "Tanods" (civilian security personnel hired by the government to patrol the communities). Brought before a Justice, he is sentenced to time in the dog pound for vagrancy. Instead of being incarcerated in the dog pound, however, he and the other captured dogs are brought to Muntinlupa, where the specialty is asocena (a dish the main ingredient of which is dog meat).

Upon arrival at the dognappers' lair, the dogs are exhibited to prospective buyers, and coincidentally, Mang Dagul, Polgas' master, is on hand to make a purchase. Polgas has to contort his face in order not to be recognized and his cover blown. This does not avail him any respite, however, since Mang Dagul chooses to purchase "him" for dog meat. Mang Dagul hands over cash to a shadowy character that Wisedog recognizes as the "Dognap King"; the mastermind of the whole operation. Wisedog takes out his "garapata gun" and announces the arrest.

Backup arrives in the form of Sarge Sabaybunot and Patrolman Durugas; they assist Wisedog in arresting the rest of the gang. Unmasking the mastermind, they discover that it's no other than Atong Damuho, a drug pusher they had previously arrested. Mang Dagul is nearly arrested as well, suspected of being a "fence", however, Polgas exonerates him when in desperation, Dagul reminds him that he, Dagul, keeps the keys to their beer cabinet at home.

As a reward for a successful operation, Wisedog is given a Porsche 959 by the OCB. Polgas christens the German-made vehicle, the "Thunderdog".

Trivia

*This marks the first appearance of Polgas' main alter ego, Wisedog. The call sign, however, would be short-lived as he changes it two books later (see 2078).
*This story arc is the only confirmation of an existing relative of Tata Mads, in this case, his son Asonel Pascala, though he is mentioned as having a wife in the earliest strips of the series and is seen with a granddaughter in one strip. Currently, he hasn't made any appearances since, although seventeen books later, he is drawn in the trivia section of Pugad Baboy XX, which is revealed that he is based on one of Pol's childhood friends, also a paraplegic, Nel.
*The story of Polgas' induction into the OCB is chronicled in the 1995 Pugad Baboy graphic novel Pirata.