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After Jolo incident, AFP to assess improvements needed in military procedures


Following the unfortunate incident in Jolo, Sulu, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it will study what military protocols need to be enhanced so that the incident will not happen again, its chief said Wednesday.

"The AFP will also determine if there [were] SOPs, procedures and other systems violated and improve [the] same to avoid similar incidents," General Felimon Santos Jr. said in a text message, referring to how the military conducts operations and coordinations.

In a separate statement, AFP spokesman Major General Edgard Arevalo said Santos and Philippine National Police chief Police General Archie Gamboa have agreed to revisit each Technique, Tactics, and Procedure (TTPs) to determine if these are current and are followed religiously to prevent the incident from happening again.

Jolo incident a case of murder?

Asked for comment about the remark of Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay that the incident was a murder, Santos said he would wait first for the result of the probe of the National Bureau of Investigation.

This is also the take of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Gapay's remark, saying it is not good to speculate at this point.

"The accounts from both sides are conflicting. Let's wait for the NBI investigation," Lorenzana told reporters.

"While there is the principle of command responsibility, it must carefully determine how high in the hierarchy should accountability be. It has to stop somewhere," Lorenzana added.

Lorenzana said Gapay was citing information he had obtained from the ground, adding that emotions among troops are really high.

Arevalo also said Gapay's remark was based on accounts of witnesses of the incident, including two civilians and a motorcycle-riding soldier who was part of the operation trailing the SUV boarded by the four soldiers.

"We share the grief of Lt. Gen. Gapay and his call for an impartial and thorough investigation and his quest for justice as he minced no words in calling for accountability and liability for those involved in the incident," Arevalo said.

Arevalo also mentioned that there is already an initial result on the autopsy of the slain soldiers but he did not provide further details about it.

Santos reiterated that the nine police officers involved, who were already disarmed and relieved from their posts, are under the custody of the Sulu Provincial Police Office.

The Philippine National Police - Internal Affairs Service has started its motu proprio investigation on the incident. Its director, Attorney Alfegar Triambulo, is expecting to receive an initial report on the incident by today. — RSJ, GMA News

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