Army says no provocation on part of soldiers in Sulu 'misencounter' with cops

The Philippine Army is demanding a full-blown investigation on Monday's alleged misencounter between policemen and soldiers in Jolo, Sulu, that left four members of the military dead.

Citing witnesses, Army commander Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay on Tuesday said the soldiers were not doing anything to provoke such a response from the policemen.

"Based on eyewitness accounts, no altercation transpired between the two parties nor was there any provocation on the part of Army personnel to warrant such carnage," he said in a press statement.

"Furthermore, no agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency are involved and this is not an anti-drug operation," Gapay added.

He said the soldiers were on a mission in Barangay Busbos to identify the location of terrorists in the area.

The Army, meanwhile, expressed condolences to the families of the slain soldiers, with Gapay assuring them that "[t]here will be no let up in our quest for truth and justice." 

The PNP admitted that the incident was a case of misencounter, spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac said on Tuesday. 

In a television interview, Banac underscored that the incident is a big lesson for the entire police force, noting that the police organization will do measures so that this will not happen again. 

An initial report from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Philippine National Police stated that Jolo Municipal Police Station (MPS) and Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit police officers were on patrol in Barangay Busbos when they spotted four armed men on board a gray SUV in Sitio Marina, Barangay Walled City at around 2:40 p.m. on June 29.

The police confronted the armed men who reportedly identified themselves as members of the military. The cops then directed them to proceed to Jolo MPS for verification.

However, according to the police, upon arriving at the police station, the soldiers fled toward Martirez, Barangay San Raymundo.

The police officers chased them, which allegedly prompted soldiers to  disembark from their vehicle and pointed their firearms at the cops. Due to this, the cops gunned down the military men.

No casualty was recorded on the side of the police.

The Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) has requested the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct an impartial probe on the incident, which WestMinCom Commander Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana said seems like "overkill."

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año already ordered that the cops involved in the incident be disarmed and be placed under the custody of the Sulu Provincial Police Director.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has extended its condolences to the bereaved families of four slain soldiers.

“The PNP leadership extends its deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of two Philippine Army officers and two enlisted men who died in the unfortunate incident,” it said in a statement Monday. —KBK, GMA News