MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said Wednesday that he stands by the police report on the death of four soldiers in Jolo, Sulu, although now calling the June 29 event a 鈥渟hooting incident鈥� and not a 鈥渕isencounter.鈥�
鈥淏atay sa pag-review ng police report, na naunang narelease na, nakita natin na 鈥榶ung umanong report na pag-amba ng mga baril sa ating mga pulis, ang siyang naging dahilan kung bakit nagpaputok ang mga pulis. Pinagmabuti natin na i-clarify na ito ay shooting incident at hindi matatawag na encounter or misencounter. Ito ay shooting incident na involving our Jolo police,鈥� Banac said in an interview over dzBB.
(Based on the review of the police report, we saw the alleged report on gun-pointing at our policemen, which prompted policemen to fire. We made sure to clarify that this is a shooting incident and that we cannot call this an encounter or a misencounter. This is a shooting incident involving our Jolo police.)
On Tuesday, Banac called what happened in Jolo between PNP members and Philippine Army intelligence men as 鈥�misencounter,鈥� saying the involved police officers were not able to properly identify the soldiers, who were consequently shot to death.
Nevertheless, the police official said the truth will come out after an impartial probe is conducted. The National Bureau of Investigation was tasked to carry out the investigation.
READ: 鈥楽addened鈥� Duterte orders NBI to hasten probe on Sulu incident
鈥淢alalaman natin ang katotohanan at kung sino ang may sala. Kung ito ay aabot sa filing of charges, so be it,鈥� Banac said.
(We will know the truth and those who committed the crime. If this will lead to the filing of charges,聽 so be it.)
Banac said the nine policemen involved in the incident were already relieved and disarmed, and that they are under restrictive custody of the Sulu police provincial office.
KGA
RELATED STORIES
鈥楨nraged鈥� Army chief demands full probe into soldiers鈥� death at hands of Sulu cops
West Mindanao Army command seeks probe of killing by cops of 4 soldiers in Jolo
PNP assures cooperation in NBI probe into Sulu cops鈥� fatal encounter with soldiers
PNP-IAS to launch admin proceedings vs cops in Sulu misencounter 鈥� Banac