NBI looks into Cebu shooting

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Reynaldo Wycoco has sent a three-man team to Cebu City to investigate the mistaken shooting of six employees of the Plantation Bay Resort by the agency’s confidential agents and assets Friday night.

The panel is composed of NBI deputy director for regional operations Samuel Ong, deputy director for administrative services Nestor Mantaring and internal affairs chief Lauro Reyes.

"They will look into all possible actions done during the operation. We assure the victims and the public that the investigation will seek the truth and appropriate punishment will be meted out to those found guilty," Wycoco said.

He also invited representatives of the Cebu press corps, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Cebu chapters of the Crusade Against Violence and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to join the probe to ensure transparency.

The six Plantation Bay employees were on their way home aboard a Mitsubishi L-300 van from the birthday party of Michael Monsod, the resort’s sports manager, in Mactan when the NBI agents tried to flag them down.

The NBI agents earlier arrested a female drug suspect who told them that her supplier was also riding a Mitsubishi L-300 van.

Since it was 2 a.m., the resort employees had no way of ascertaining the identities of the men accosting them. So they sped off and the NBI agents gave chase and fired at the van. The vehicle had at least 73 bullet holes.

Witnesses said the agents continued firing even as the van screeched to a halt because of flat tires.

Realizing their mistake, the agents brought the wounded resort employees to the hospital.