MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is studying how to keep custody of the nine police officers in Jolo, Sulu who were dismissed in connection with the fatal shooting of four Army soldiers in June last year.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said yesterday he would discuss their options with Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas.
“I am sure may solution dyan para hindi muna natin ma-release,” Año told The STAR in a phone interview.
S/Sgts. Almudzrin Hadjaruddin, Iskandar Susulan and Ernisar Sappal; Pat. Alkajal Mandangan, Rajiv Putalan and Moh Nur Parsani; Senior M/Sgt. Abdelzhimar Padjiri; M/Sgt. Hanie Baddiri and Cpl. Sulki Andaki are under restrictive custody at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame.
Sinas approved the dismissal order on Monday.
Año said arrest warrants should have been issued to ensure that the police officers would remain under police custody.
“There is really something wrong... we are going to follow up,” the DILG chief said.
Año urged the police officers to face the charges even as he expressed concern that the relatives of the slain soldiers might avenge their deaths.
”Baka mag rido, delikado sila,” he said.
Maj. Marvin Indammog, Capt. Irwin Managuelod, Sgt. Jaime Velasco and Cpl. Abdal Asula were killed in what the PNP had initially described as a misencounter.
Sinas urged the Department of Justice to fast-track the filing of criminal charges against the policemen.
He said the police officers have to be released to their families after 10 days if no arrest warrant would be issued and the respondents will not appeal their dismissal.
Welcome development
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said the dismissal order is a “welcome development” and a step toward attaining justice on behalf of the victims’ families and the Army.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the AFP would monitor the progress of the case.
“We will ensure that justice is served for the hapless victims who were killed while in actual performance of their solemn duty,” Lorenzana said.
Both Lorenzana and Arevalo said they hope the PNP and AFP learn from the incident and take concrete steps to prevent a similar incident.
“While we are optimistic that appropriate penalties will be meted on the perpetrators, we hope that necessary measures will be instituted by the PNP to prevent the incident from happening again,” Arevalo said.
Lorenzana said he sympathizes with the families of the policemen.
“Their families are as much a victim of the incident as the families of the soldiers who were killed,” he said.