Cops involved in Jolo shooting may be brought to Camp Crame this week — Gamboa

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa on Monday said he is eyeing to have the nine policemen involved in the Jolo, Sulu shooting incident to be transported to Metro Manila this week.

At a press briefing, Gamboa said the issue now is that one of the police officers have tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

"I was supposed to bring the nine respondents policemen to Manila pero nagkaroon problema dahil nag-positive 'yung isa. I'm putting now the responsibility to the regional director of BAR Police Brigadier General Manuel Abu to bring the policemen anytime this week to Camp Crame, so si RD ang escort," Gamboa said.

The PNP chief said the cop who tested positive for COVID-19 after being subjected to rapid testing must be negative for swab testing before he will be sent to Camp Crame.

Earlier reports citing information from Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the nine cops would undergo swab testing for COVID-19.

Gamboa said he has told the involved policemen that he will not interfere with the investigation of the incident, stressing that if they are really liable for the deaths of  the four soldiers, they must face it.

"Sinabi ko lang sa kanila, you would go to Crame para ma-diffuse 'yung tension and then expect kung ano 'yung sasabihin ng NBI, hindi ako makikialam so kung mayroong liable sa inyo, so be it. For the meantime, you will be under the custody of the Philippine National Police," Gamboa said.

The PNP chief also mentioned that the entire probe on the matter would depend on the National Bureau of Investigation. He said the PNP Internal Affairs Service would just be involved in the operational review of the procedures together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

"We give the full investigation to NBI and then kapag may results na ang NBI, mas mabilis on the part of the PNP to pursue the administrative [cases]," Gamboa said.

"Wala muna [IAS sa investigation], involved ang IAS sa operational review together with the inspector general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines," he added.

Four intelligence officers, 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, prompting the cops to gun them down.

According to the NBI, one of the slain soldiers had eight gunshot wounds while two others had at least three.

The Philippine Army earlier branded the incident as murder while the PNP said it was a shooting incident.

President Rodrigo Duterte has called on cops and soldiers to be calm and let the investigation determine who are liable in the incident. — RSJ, GMA News