Duterte saddened by Sulu 'misencounter,' wants to talk to involved cops –Roque

President Rodrigo Duterte was "extremely sad" over the recent "misencounter" in Jolo, Sulu between policemen and members of the military that left four soldiers dead, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday.

Interviewed on Unang Hirit, Roque said Duterte had ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a speedy investigation on the incident that the head of the Philippine Army, Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay, described as "murder."

"Nalulungkot siya (Duterte) sa nangyari sa Sulu at inorderan niya ang NBI na pabilisin ang imbestigasyon," Roque said.

"Lungkot na lungkot siya at ang ginamit niyang salita ay siya ay nanlambot, extremely sad."

Roque said Duterte informed Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who has jurisdiction over the police force, that he wants to talk to the involved policemen.

"Hiniling ni Pangulo kay Secretary Año na gusto niyang makausap yung siyam na pulis na diumano ay nagpaputok dun sa apat na Army personnel kasama ang isang major," he said.

Apart from this, Duterte also expressed his intention to visit the soldiers in Sulu -- which he had done a number of times already in the past -- to lift their moral.

"Gusto niya pumunta doon mismo sa lugar kung saan nangyari [yung misencounter] kung pupuwede dahil gusto niyang ma-lift ang morale ng kasundaluhan dahil talagang mababa ang morale ng ating mga kasundaluhan," Roque said.

Roque added the Duterte wished it would be the last misencounter involving government forces under his administration.

"Hindi raw dapat nagpapatayan ang may parehong ideolohiya at sinabi niyang sana ito na ang huling misencounter sa kaniyang termino," he said.

According to the police spot report on the incident, the policemen confronted the armed men they spotted at Sitio Marina. These men had identified themselves as military personnel but the directed them to proceed to a nearby station for further verification of their identities.

Upon arriving at the station, the report said, the soldiers tried to escape, prompting the policemen to chase them. The soldiers allegedly disembarked from their vehicle and pointed their weapons at their pursuers.

Police then fired shots at the soldiers, killing them. —KBK, GMA News