Forensic analysis sought on Samar misencounter

Forensic experts will be asked to conduct an analysis on the cellular phones of the policemen and soldiers involved in the misencounter in Samar last June 25, the chief of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) said yesterday.

BOI head Director Rolando Felix said the cellular phones of the policemen will be retrieved and analyzed to establish the timeline before, during and after the encounter in Sta. Rita in Samar which led to the death of six policemen and the wounding of nine others.

Felix, concurrent chief of the Directorate for Integrated for Police Operations (DIPO) in the Visayas, said the move was meant to analyze the sequence of events from all the calls and text messages of the cellular phones that were re- portedly used in coordinating with the local military forces.

“Actually, we’re asking that cell phones be retrieved so that we can conduct forensic examinations in relation to their allegations on the coordination, that calls and text messages were made. So, we are still waiting for the results,” Felix told reporters at a briefing.

He said about 50 people were involved in the so-called misencounter – 17 from the military’s side and 33 from the Philippine National Police (PNP) – thus, they are still in the process of assessing the information.

“Many people were involved. Almost one platoon on the side of the PNP. That’s about 30 persons. On the other side, it’s one section, it’s half of the platoon and we are looking into other units that were informed about the coordination,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Felix and other members of the BOI personally went to Samar, conducted an ocular investigation and interviewed some police personnel in the area.

“What we have established so far is that there was coordination. But whether or not this coordination reached the people that should have been informed is not yet finalized,” he said.

The retrieval of data from the cellular phones used in the coordination is important to identify the persons involved in the coordination, according to Felix.

“Our policemen have been saying that coordination was made through cellular phones. We are trying to get these cell phones for the conduct of forensic examination to the allegations because accordingly, text messages were sent and calls were made,” he said.

“We will come out with our own findings based on what we saw, based on evidence,” he added.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said they hope to release initial findings of the BOI by Wednesday.

“Finally, within the week, we expect the Board of Inquiry in coordination with our AFP counterparts to wrap up its investigation into that unfortunate mistaken encounter in Sta. Rita, Samar,” Albayalde said.

He noted that there had been sufficient information, evidence and inputs to put all the pieces together and reconstruct the circumstances on that fateful day.

Probe to continue

The probe on the clash in Samar will continue even if President Duterte has taken full responsibility for the incident, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said there is a need to finish the investigation on the encounter so that similar clashes can be avoided.

“When it comes to providing justice, the President said it is important to avoid a repeat of the incident, wherein government forces clashed with one another. The solution really is better coordination, especially during combat operations,” Roque said in a press briefing in Leyte.

“But I think we have to wait for what the BOI will say. On the part of the President, he took full resposibility. Let’s accept the fact that nobody really wanted this to happen, but this is without prejudice to the final outcome of the investigation to be conducted by the BOI,” he added.

While the BOI has not yet completed its probe, Duterte said the ultimate blame was on him as commander-in-chief of the military.

“While the investigation is ongoing, we will see what can be done. But based on the initial assessment of the President, there was complete lack of coordination,” Roque said.

“It was saddening and while we are still awaiting the results of the investigation, I do not think there was criminal intent. I don’t think the soldiers will target the policemen. But let us see if there was negligence,” he added.

Roque said the government would provide all the necessary assistance to the families of the slain policemen.