Duterte orders NBI to be the sole body to probe QC clash between cops, PDEA agents

President Rodrigo Duterte has designated the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to be the sole body to investigate the deadly shootout between policemen and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), presidential 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.

“This is to ensure impartiality on the Quezon City shootout incident,” Roque added.

Four people — two policemen, a PDEA agent and an informant — were killed in the gun battle that took place late Wednesday afternoon at the parking lot of a fastfood establishment on Commonwealth, Quezon City.

Because of Duterte's order, the investigation being jointly conducted by the Philippine National Police and PDEA will have to be discontinued, 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.  

Both the police and PDEA are claiming they were performing a buy-bust operation when the clash occurred. The police had earlier described the incident as a "misencounter."

Both law enforcement agencies have refused to provide details on the incident pending results of the probe. 

The Senate and the House of Representatives are both set to conduct their separate   investigation into the encounter next week.--KBK/AOL, GMA News