PNP, AFP to come up with board of inquiry to improve ops, identify lapses

A joint board of inquiry between the police and the military will be established to enhance the security forces' operational procedures following the shooting incident in Sulu, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa said on Monday. 

At a press briefing, Gamboa said AFP Inspector General Major General Franco Nemecio Gacal would visit Camp Crame on Monday to discuss the matter with PNP Internal Affairs Service Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo. 

"Today, the inspector general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be arriving here in Crame to thresh out organizational matters in the creation of the board of inquiry which will be launched together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines inspector general and the inspector general of the Internal Affairs Service of the Philippine National Police," Gamboa said. 

"Of course we do not want to preempt the results of the investigation of the NBI so ito ngayon, organizational lang, kung ano 'yung commander's intent... Me and the AFP have agreed to come up with this board of inquiry primarily to determine the operational lapses and how we can improve our operational procedures," he added. 

The four soldiers, who were killed at the hands of cops, were trying to pinpoint the house of two female suicide bombers in Jolo when they were flagged down by police officers. 

To further verify their identities, the cops ordered them to go to the police station despite identifying themselves as military personnel. 

A police spot report has stated that a shooting incident had transpired when the soldiers supposedly escaped and pointed their weapons at the police officers. 

The National Bureau of Investigation, which was tapped to look into the incident, earlier said one of the killed government troops had eight gunshot wounds while three gunshot wounds were found on the other two soldiers.

Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay described the incident as murder while the Philippine National Police said it was a shooting incident. 

Asked what went wrong in the rules of engagement in this unfortunate incident, Gamboa said he does not want to preempt the ongoing probe but he sees that in these kinds of incidents, the usual problem is coordination. 

"Probably coordination, that's why ang thrust ngayon ng board of inquiry is to study coordination from strategic down to tactical para ma-revisit natin kung ano 'yung dapat gawin so that these things won't happen again," Gamboa said. 

Gamboa said authorities would also study the real security situation in Jolo, Sulu.

"All of these things can be considered kasi isa lang naman ang kalaban namin. Kapag tactical it will really differ from one area to another kasi iba 'yung circumstances present lalo na dito sa Jolo, Sulu," he said.

Meanwhile, the AFP is also undertaking a review of its procedures during operations after the shooting incident.

AFP spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo on Sunday said the review aims to assess and improve the operations of the armed forces. —KG/KBK, GMA News