PDEA to NBI: QC cops shot asset, started shootout

Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency were only cooling the engine of an overheated sedan at the parking lot of a Commonwealth Avenue fast food branch when two armed men shot their asset who was working on a buy-bust operation.

According to John Consulta's exclusive report on "24 Oras", initial investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation showed that the gunmen who exchanged gunfire with PDEA agents were members of the Quezon City Police District.

The informant was said to have been working on the buy-bust operation, which was still a few kilometers away when the armed men approached with drawn weapons. 

“Their asset allegedly continued to work on the hand-off despite their struggle to repair the car inside the McDonald’s parking lot. Moments later, an unknown malefactor approached the PDEA asset and immediately shot the latter,” the initial report read.

The two policemen, a PDEA agent and the informant went down during the initial exchange of shots.

“As gunfire ensured, the PDEA agents managed to call for back up, however, overpowered by superior members of QCPD policemen surrounding the vicinity of the crime scene,” the report read.

PDEA agents told NBI investigators that they were leaving the parking lot on board a white van to bring the agent and the informant to the hospital when they were shot at by QC policemen.

“The PDEA further claimed that upon their back up’s arrival, the QCPD arrested the PDEA reconnaissance team and started to inflict harm, causing serious wounds and injuries to the PDEA reconnaissance team,” the report read.

“The PDEA lost two of their agents identified as agents Gano and De Quirros and one of their assets. PDEA undertook to cooperate with the investigation being conducted by the NBI,” it added. -Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News