PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino. INQUIRER PHOTO/ JAM STA ROSA
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents killed in an ambush in Kapai, Lanao del Sur, did not ask local police to escort them, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said Monday.
“The police volunteered to secure, or escort PDEA. In fact, sinabi na nga nu’ng team leader (from PDEA) na hindi na necessary na escortan sila eh,” Aquino said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer.
“Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit na in spite na ayaw ng PDEA na mag-escort ang PNP, eh nangyari pa rin, na-escortan pa rin, siguro pinilit sila,” he added.
Aquino said that according to survivors — a female PDEA agent and a police officer from the nearby Tagoloan town — the police convoy suddenly sped ahead and left minutes before the ambush.
“Naka-buntot lang sila sa PDEA, then prior to the ambush, biglang umovertake na humahagibis na hindi na nakita ng tropa. In fact ‘pag gano’n dapat pati sila na-ambush, bakit tropa ko lang ang na-ambush during that time?” he said
The PDEA chief who is currently in Mindanao said that he would talk to the survivors to get more detailed accounts.
“Ako mismo ang titingin at kakausap sa kanila especially ‘dun sa survivor na dalawa […] I will talk to them and I myself would like to hear from them kung ano talaga ‘yong nangyari,” he said.
On Friday noon, five agents were killed in Barangay Malna in Kapai, after unidentified assailants opened fire at them.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Monday that five police personnel who acted as escorts have been disarmed and relieved of their posts, following Aquino’s hunch of “suspicious moves.” /cbb
READ: Gov’t slams cowardly killing of PDEA agents in Lanao del Sur / PNP relieves cops who left behind PDEA agents before ambush