Eleazar says PNP, PDEA crafting guidelines to avoid misencounter

Police chief General Guillermo Eleazar said Sunday that the PNP, together with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, is working on law enforcement operation rules to avoid misencounter.

On Friday afternoon, Quezon City lawmen and PDEA agents nearly figured in a misencounter in the middle of an anti-illegal drug operation at a mall. However, the cops identified themselves just before the first bullet could be fired.

Pressed for some details about his meeting with PDEA chief Wilkins Villanueva, Eleazar told reporters that they talked about other possible causes of misencounter -- aside from coordination problem -- and how to avoid it.

"Beyond coordination, ano ba talaga ang problema? Bakit may ganoon ng pagkakataon? Mas i-improve namin yan maglalabas kami ng unified operational guidelines," Eleazar said.

In the meantime, Eleazar said the two law-enforcement groups agreed to avoid "collision", especially within the jurisdiction of a police station.

He compared "collision" of law-enforcement agents to a vehicular accident, which can be avoided if no two vehicles occupy the same place at the same time.

"Walang itong pinagkaiba sa vehicular accident. Para maiwasan ng collision or accident dapat walang sasakyan na magoccupy ng iisang space. As simple as that yun ang gagawin natin," Eleazar said.

"We will see to it that PDEA and PNP operatives, ay hindi mag-operate sa isang lugar lalo na within area of police station" (no two separate, simultaneous operations in an area, especially under a police station), he pointed out.

Last February, QC police elements and PDEA agents figured in a deadly clash along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. Two cops were killed in the shootout.

A report from National Bureau of Investigation also shows that two PDEA agents and an informant were killed in the shootout during a supposed anti-drug operation.  —LBG, GMA News