[kellyhound]

Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Ricardo Visaya on Wednesday, July 1, criticized the police’s handling of the crime scene where cops gunned down 4 soldiers in Jolo, Sulu – saying they committed “many violations.” on Monday, June 29.

CCTV of the aftermath shows what looked like police investigators loitering the crime scene, touching the bodies of the victims, opening the door to the driver’s seat of the soldiers' SUV, and appearing to reach for something inside.

“See how the local PNP (Philippine National Police) in the area handled the situation. Many violations were committed at the crime scene,” Visaya said.

Police are supposed to immediately cordon off a crime scene to preserve it as closely as possible to the moment the crime happened. Any change to the scene might tamper with evidence.

“How could you serve and protect the people if you have policemen like them? Discipline eroded!” Visaya said.

The former military chief then criticized the PNP leadership, referring to its headquarters, Camp Crame in Quezon City. “There have been ‘habitual violent incidents’ perpetrated by unscrupulous policemen. PNP at Camp Crame should stop covering up [for] their abusive men,” he said.

Sulu cops shot dead 4 soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday afternoon, June 29, following an alleged confrontation and a chase in the capital Jolo – a version that the military is disputing.

What the police said: According to the initial report from Sulu police, Jolo municipal cops and a policeman assigned to the Sulu Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit spotted a Gray Montero SUV boarded by 4 men at around 2:40 pm on Monday.

The 4 men introduced themselves as members of the AFP. Suspecting them, the cops stopped their vehicle and ordered them to go to the Jolo police station “for verification.”

After arriving at the station, however, the 4 men suddenly fled towards the direction of Barangay San Raymundo in the same city, the police report said.

The 4 men eventually stopped then disembarked, allegedly armed.

“The said persons lifted and pointed their firearms towards PNP personnel, However, before they could pull the trigger, the PNP personnel were able to shoot them in defense,” the report read.

The 4 died on the spot. They have not been identified.

What the military said: In a phone interview with Rappler, AFP Western Mindano Command chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana gave a different narration of the incident.

According to him, the soldiers were "doing their work" aboard their SUV when they were "fired upon" by the Sulu cops.

The 4 fallen soldiers were a major, a captain, a sergeant, and a corporal – all from an intelligence unit of the Philippine Army, Sobejana said.

The military general called on the National Bureau of Investigation to step in to conduct an impartial probe on the incident.

Asked for his reaction, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said it was a "very unfortunate incident." He declined further comment, saying reports on hand were "very hazy," and the NBI in Zamboanga would conduct an inquiry.

[soja]

wow, what a SNAFU

[minka1]

The cops are the murderers? Confusing story.

[Overlord86]

Someone forgot deconfliction.

If I ready the story correctly, the deceased are Intelligence from the military and the civilian police were the shooters. Interesting that the Intelligence guys were in plain clothes and in a Mitsubishi Montero.

Gunfight two would have probably been worse if those soldiers in the troop transports knew who the deceased were. Sounds like the beginning shots of a civil war. Military intelligence sneaking around, not wanting to be properly identified, then for a gunfire, albeit a one sided gunfight, to happen is very interesting.


Who exactly were the targets of the intelligence guys is the big question and why were they doing whatever it is they were doing? It is rare for a group of four trained armed guys to point guns at another group and all four get smoked without firing a shot, unless they held back. Did the civilian police just stumble into the intelligence guys operation by accident? I can maybe understand them fleeing, but why pull out guns and then not shoot? Did the patriot in them decide they wouldn't fire on civilian police? Are they heroes that held back or are the military at some level on a different side than the civilian police? If they are on a different side, is it a different side of the law or the government? Are the police corrupt and the military is planning on doing something or is a military coup underway?

Very, very interesting.
It will be interesting to watch the Philippines for something to happen there.

[laal]

Originally Posted by Overlord86 ↗

Someone forgot deconfliction.

If I ready the story correctly, the deceased are Intelligence from the military and the civilian police were the shooters. Interesting that the Intelligence guys were in plain clothes and in a Mitsubishi Montero.

Gunfight two would have probably been worse if those soldiers in the troop transports knew who the deceased were. Sounds like the beginning shots of a civil war. Military intelligence sneaking around, not wanting to be properly identified, then for a gunfire, albeit a one sided gunfight, to happen is very interesting.


Who exactly were the targets of the intelligence guys is the big question and why were they doing whatever it is they were doing? It is rare for a group of four trained armed guys to point guns at another group and all four get smoked without firing a shot, unless they held back. Did the civilian police just stumble into the intelligence guys operation by accident? I can maybe understand them fleeing, but why pull out guns and then not shoot? Did the patriot in them decide they wouldn't fire on civilian police? Are they heroes that held back or are the military at some level on a different side than the civilian police? If they are on a different side, is it a different side of the law or the government? Are the police corrupt and the military is planning on doing something or is a military coup underway?

Very, very interesting.
It will be interesting to watch the Philippines for something to happen there.

Im from the Philippines. The military men were tracking the wives of suicide bombers and some other Abu Sayyaf members. Now they've lost track of them.

[Overlord86]

Thank you.

WTF happened? Seems like a common mission for both groups. Is this just failing to deconfliction and the police thought intelligence guys were criminals or terrorists themselves? It would explain why the intelligence guys didn't fire a shot. They couldn't bear to fire on police officers who thought the intelligence guys were bad? It would make the intelligence guys patriots.
I guess y'all have even more questions.