President Rodrigo Duterte has decided that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) would be the sole law enforcement agency that would investigate the shootout that occurred between Quezon City cops and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents, residential spokesperson Harry Roque said Friday.
“Nagdesisyon po ang ating Pangulo na tanging NBI lang po ang mag-iimbestiga dun sa putukang nangyari sa panig ng mga kapulisan at ng PDEA diyan po sa Quezon City,” Roque said.
(Our President has decided that only the NBI will investigate the shooting that took place on the side of the police and the PDEA in Quezon City.)
“This is to ensure impartiality on the Quezon City shootout incident,” Roque added.
Because of Duterte’s order, the joint investigation conducted by the PDEA and the Philippine National Police (PNP) would no longer push through, Roque said.
“Iyong mga joint panel na binuo ng PDEA at PNP, hihinto na po sila sa kanilang imbestigasyon. Talagang NBI na lang po talaga ang matutuloy ng imbestigasyon,” he said.
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(Those joint panels formed by the PDEA and PNP will stop their investigation. Only the NBI can really continue the investigation.)
Two police officers, one PDEA agent, and an informant died in the shooting incident that took place near Ever Gotesco Commonwealth on Wednesday night.
At around 6 o’clock, the diners at the restaurant heard gunshots from the parking lot.
“Sa likod pa lang namin may pulis na, pinadapa kaming lahat baka may matamaan ng baril. Natakot kasi siyempre baril ‘yan,” the witness said.
In the video taken by a civilian, customers of a fast-food restaurant were seen hiding inside the bathroom.
Authorities had earlier said the police and PDEA operation was legitimate but ended up in a misencounter. They are still investigating how this happened.
“This is a legitimate anti-drugs operation. So kung sino ‘yong nagbuy-bust, kung sino ‘yong ka-buy bust, ‘yon po ‘yong iimbestigahan natin,” said Metro Manila police chief Brig. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr.