The Departments of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and National Defense (DND) will conduct a joint inquiry regarding the reported “misencounter” between Army troopers and police operatives in Samar province on Monday morning.
“This is a very unfortunate event that nobody wanted to happen. Together with the DND, we will form a board of inquiry to investigate the incident in order to determine the cause of this unfortunate event and draw up measures to prevent the same from happening again,” DILG Officer in Charge Secretary Eduardo M. Año said in a news statement issued on Tuesday.
Año said the board will also seek answers and summon concerned officials on why prior communication and coordination were not made between local military and police forces in the conduct of combat operations in the area.
“There are existing protocols between the Philippine National Police [PNP] and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in field operations. We will try to determine why these were not followed, and if these need review and modifications,” he said.
In the morning of June 25, elements of the Philippine Army’s 87th Infantry Battalion reportedly had a misencounter with members of the 805th Mobile Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8, as both groups were conducting simultaneous combat operations in Santa Rita and Villareal towns.
Six police officers were killed, while nine others were wounded in the incident.
“We are really very saddened by this incident, as both troops were just doing their jobs of going against lawless elements and protecting the community,” Año said.
The DILG chief also expressed his condolences to the bereaved families of the slain cops as he assured them of the immediate release of financial assistance due them under the Comprehensive Social Benefits Program.
“On behalf of the DILG and the PNP leadership, my deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the policemen who died during this unfortunate incident. I have already given specific instructions…to expedite the release of the benefits and assistance to help you cope in this hour of bereavement,” he said.