MANILA, Philippines鈥擳he Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday (Sept. 7) said it welcomed the filing of administrative charges by the Philippine National Police (PNP) against 12 of its men involved in the killing of military intelligence agents in Jolo, Sulu last June.
AFP spokesperson Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said the military 鈥渁ppreciates鈥� the PNP move.
鈥淛ustice should neither be delayed nor denied to our soldiers who were killed while in the actual performance of their solemn duty to protect our people and secure our country from terrorists,鈥� he said.
Earlier in the day, the PNP filed administrative charges against nine policemen and three officers involved in the fatal shooting of the military intelligence agents which the PNP had earlier described as a 鈥渕isencounter.鈥� The nine policemen and officers are now in restrictive custody in Camp Crame, the PNP headquarters in Quezon City.
Four Army intelligence agents were chasing suspected terrorists in Jolo, Sulu last June 29 when they were intercepted at a police checkpoint and shot later. The military said the terror suspects that the intelligence men were going after turned out to be those behind the two bombings in Jolo last month.
Arevalo said 鈥渢he AFP will not stop until justice is served with dispatch for the victims of that unfortunate incident.鈥�
鈥淲e are one with the families of our slain soldiers in their pursuit of the criminal cases against the said members of Jolo police,鈥� he said.