Misunderstanding leads to shootout between PDEA agent, 2 cops

An anti-narcotics policeman was shot by fellow police officers before dawn yesterday in Quezon City in a case of mistaken identity.

SPO1 Teofilo Esquejo, 47, an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), was wounded in both legs during a shootout with Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 6 policemen in front of his house in Barangay Payatas A.

PO1 Felicisimo de Guzman and Armando Penaflor, both in civilian attire, were dispatched to the area after the QCPD-Station 6 received a tip about a suspicious-looking man armed with a handgun roaming along Waling-Waling street, where Esquejo resides.

Upon seeing Esquejo, who at that time had not introduced himself as a PDEA agent, De Guzman and Penaflor drew their firearms and introduced themselves as policemen and approached Esquejo.

Not believing what the two policemen had said, Esquejo drew his firearm and fired at De Guzman and Penaflor, who fired back.

Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag, chief of the QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, explained that since Esquejo and the two QCPD-Station 6 policemen did not know each other, they might have suspected each other to be criminal elements.

Mabanag said Esquejo’s neighborhood is known for illegal drug activities and the QCPD has been conducting regular anti-narcotics operations there. He said an amicable settlement is being arranged so both parties would not file cases against each other.    – Reinir Padua