‘SHOOT-OUT NOT AN AMBUSH’

Cops retaliated after mayor’s security escorts opened fire, says Philippine police chief

ANTI-NARCOTICS police did not ambush Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino in the shootout that killed six people in Samar province.

This was stated by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Debold Sinas, according to the Philstar.com portal.

Early findings by the Police Regional Office (PRO) 8, a unit tasked to probe the shoot-out at the Laboyao Bridge in Barangay Lonoy, Calbayog City at about 5.30pm on Monday, indicated that the police party only retaliated after Aquino’s security escorts opened fire at their vehicle, said Sinas.

“No, it’s not an ambush. As per initial reports of the regional director of PRO 8, it was mistaken by the mayor’s security escorts that the other vehicle was travelling along the same direction,” he said at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Wednesday.

Sinas said it was possible that Aquino’s escorts became suspicious of the vehicle tailing them, unaware that they were police officers of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) and Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) who were about to inspect police stations to check their readiness against possible threats from communist rebels.

“They suspected that they were being followed,” Sinas said.

The IMEG and PDEU are tasked to form red teams and conduct surprise inspections on their personnel, he revealed.

Aquino and two companions were killed. The other fatalities are two police officers and a civilian who was caught in the crossfire.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) have been ordered to join the investigation of the incident.

The CIDG will assist the special investigation task group in the investigation while the IAS will conduct a separate inquiry on the possible administrative liabilities of the policemen involved.

“I have requested the IAS to conduct investigations now and send personnel to conduct a parallel case to find out what really happened,” he added.

On requests for the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the incident, Sinas said he saw no problem with a separate investigation but insisted that the PNP would not stop its own inquiry.

“If that’s the request, it’s also their right, but on our part, it’s our job to also conduct a separate investigation. It does not matter,” he said.