Robredo visits wake of slain soldiers in Jolo shooting
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo visited the wake of three of the four soldiers killed in the shooting in Jolo, Sulu earlier this week.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, Robredo said she visited the wakes of Maj. Marvin Indammog (39), Capt. Irwin Managuelod (33) and Sgt. Jaime Velasco (38).
She was not able to visit the wake of Corporal Abdal Asula (33) as he was buried immediately following Islam tradition.
“All of them are young men who died in the service of the country. It was heartbreaking to hear their stories from their respective families. They had such promising futures ahead of them,” the vice president wrote.
“My heart goes out to their loved ones and the entire Philippine Army who are all grieving for their loss,” she added.
Robredo also thanked Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, commanding general of the Philippine Army, for ensuring that justice will be served.
Gapay branded the police accounts of the incident that initially said the soldiers fired shots as “fabricated, full of inconsistencies and misleading.”
Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson later said that the incident was not a “misencounter" and the slain soldiers did not fire guns.
According to the military's Western Mindanao Command, the four were part of an intelligence unit gathering information on suicide bombers linked to the Abu Sayyaf group in the vicinity of Barangay Mauboh, Patikul.
The nine members of Jolo police involved in the shooting were relieved and disarmed on Wednesday. They have also been placed in the custody of Sulu police.
The National Bureau of Investigation has been tapped to conduct an independent and impartial probe into the shooting. — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from Franco Luna
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