Jolo incident shouldn’t spark animosity between AFP, PNP – Rody

President Duterte has expressed hope that the shooting incident in Jolo, which left four soldiers dead, would not trigger animosity between the military and the police.

Speaking to soldiers in Jolo on Monday, Duterte said justice would be served in the incident, which is being probed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“It is my hope that this isolated incident will not spark any animosity between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP (Philippine National Police),” the President said.

Four personnel of the 9th Intelligence Service Unit were killed in the incident on June 29. Nine police officers tagged in the shooting had been relieved and placed under restrictive custody.

Police said the shooting occurred after the soldiers refused to proceed to the municipal police station to validate their identities. The military, for its part, claimed that Army personnel were not armed and branded the incident as “murder.”

“As your commander-in-chief, I assure you that I will see to it that the truth will come out, be it in favor of the police or the military. I just want to know what really happened. You can rest assured that justice will be done to the family and to the troops here in Jolo,” Duterte said.

Shot in the back

Initial NBI findings show that the bullet shells found at the scene matched the firearms of the police officers involved.

“The bullet wounds were mostly in the back, with one soldier sustaining eight wounds in the back and his extremities,“Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.

Guevarra said he expects the NBI to file charges against those responsible for the death of the four soldiers.