(Eagle News) — Two policemen were killed in a shootout between members of the Quezon City Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in what appeared to be a “misencounter” on Wednesday night, Feb. 24.
The Philippine National Police said that a “joint PNP-PDEA Board of Inquiry will be formed to determine what transpired and who should be held liable.”
A PNP statement said that the joint inquiry will be done “in the interest of determining truth behind the incident”
PNP Chief, Police General Debold Sinas, appointed the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) as the lead investigating body while the Regional Director of the National Capital Region Police Office “has been designated to speak on any updates from the PNP in order to keep the public updated with accurate and relevant information.”
“The PNP and PDEA both agree and assure the public that the incident, while serious, will in no way affect the continuing operational relationship and coordinations they have long firmed up in the fight against illegal drugs,” a PNP statement issued late Wednesday night said.
A sketchy incident report issued by the Batasan Police Station 6 described the incident as a “buy-bust operation” of the Quezon City Police Department’s District Special Operations Unit personnel at about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. The site was at a parking area of a fastfood chain beside Ever Gotesco Mall along Commonwealth Avenue in Bgy. Batasan Hill, Quezon City.
It said that there were three PNP personnel injured whom it had identified. Two of the injured policemen later succumbed to their injuries.
The PNP incident report also said that there were 20 alleged PDEA agents involved in the incident. Two of them were injured, it said, aside from one civilian companion.
In the same incident report, it said that the PNP personnel did not know that they were transacting with PDEA agents. It reported that the QCPD operation had “complete coordination” and had the “necessary papers.”
The shootout between the two groups resulted in injuries for both camps.
National Capital Region Police Office chief Brigadier General Vic Danao said the incident was a “misencounter.”
Both the QCPD and PDEA claimed that they were there on a legitimate operation.
A statement from Ever Gotesco assured the public that there were no civilians injured in the incident, which it said was a shootout that happened outside the mall.
(Eagle News Service)
