Army battalion commander ‘temporarily relieved’ from post amid Samar ‘misencounter’ probe

The commanding officer of the Philippine Army's 87th Infantry Battalion has been relieved from his post to give way for an impartial investigation in the alleged "misencounter" in Samar that left six policemen dead and nine others wounded.

On Thursday, Major General Raul Farnacio, commander of the Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Division, said Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Floresca has been "temporarily relieved" from his post effective Wednesday, June 27. 

"Actually pending the conduct of investigation kaya ko ni-relieve, para hindi siya maka-influence," Farnacio said.

"It's part of the process para hindi siya maka-influence," he added.

The 16 Army personnel involved in the incident were all accounted for and under investigation, according to Armed Forces chief General Carlito Galvez Jr., adding that they have already been disarmed.

The firearms of the said personnel will be subjected to a ballistic test.

Asked if the operating troops were also relieved, Farnacio said: "Hindi pa naman, actually for questioning lang sila."

The Philippine National Police has also administratively relieved two police officers, Superintendent Glen Oliver Cinco, officer-in-charge of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 8 and Chief Inspector Don Archie Suspeñe, commander of the 805th Mobile Company, RMFB 8.

Suspeñe led the operating elements of the police force who were conducting minor combat operations on Monday at 9:27 a.m. when it was fired upon by the elements of the 87th IB at Sitio Lunoy, Barangay San Roque in Santa Rita, Samar.  

The Six police officers killed in action were identified as Police Officers 1 Wyndell Noromor, Edwin Ebrado, Phil Rey Mendigo, Julius Suarez, Rowell Reyes, and Julie Escalo.

The nine wounded policemen, meanwhile, were identified as Police Officers 1 Elmer Pan, Cris Angelo Pialago, Romulo Cordero, Joenel Gonzaga, Rey Barbosa, Roden Goden, Jaime Galoy, Romel Bagunas, and Janmark Adonis.

Two out of the nine wounded police personnel who were confined at Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City, Leyte have already been discharged.

The slain police personnel were supposed to head toward Sitio Canunayan in Barangay Rosal when the firefight happened for around 20 minutes.

Army troopers allegedly fired upon the police operatives first after they mistakenly thought of them as communist insurgents. — RSJ, GMA News