President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he hopes the Jolo shooting, which killed four soldiers, would not spark friction between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Duterte visited Camp General Teodulfo Bautista in Jolo, Sulu, and told the AFP to not hold grudges against the PNP despite the cops’ shooting of the slain military intelligence officers.
“We have the deaths of your fellow soldiers where certain members of the Philippine National Police were involved. As your Commander-in-Chief, I grieve for our fallen men,” he said. “It is my hope that this isolated incident will not spark any animosity between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP.”
The nine police officers involved in the killing were identified as S/Sgt. Almudzrin Hadjaruddin, Pat. Alkajal Mandangan, Pat. Rajiv Patulan, Senior M/ Sgt. Abdelzhimar Padjiri, M/Sgt. Hanie U Baddiri, S/Sgt. Iskandar Susulan, S/Sgt. Ernisar Sappal, Cpl. Sulki Andaki and Pat. Mohammad Nur Pasani.
The killed AFP officials were Maj. Marvin Indammog, Capt. Irwin Managuelod, Sgt. Jaime Velasco and Cpl. Abdal Asula.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa earlier said the tension between the cops and soldiers in Jolo already eased.
“With the advent na pumunta ‘yung joint AFP and PNP, I don’t think meron pang pressure na ganoon or meron pang tensyon na ganoon sa Jolo,” Gamboa said.
Also read: Army chief: Jolo shooting incident not a ‘misencounter’ but a murder
The Board of Inquiry, composed of the PNP and AFP officers, returned to Manila after investigating the shooting incident in Jolo, Gamboa, told reporters in Camp Crame.
Duterte, in his recent remarks, assured the AFP that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) would conduct an “immediate and impartial” probe into the shooting incident.
“I already tasked the National Bureau of Investigation to do justice by conducting an immediate and impartial investigation to ferret out the truth,” he said.
Duterte guaranteed that truth would come out, “be it in favor of the police or the military.”
“Ang hinihingi ko lang, ang totoong nangyari (All I ask is to know the truth). So you can rest assured that justice will be done to the family and the troops here in Jolo),” Duterte said.