PNP to heighten coordination with AFP to prevent misencounter

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac. (Photo from PNP Public Information Office)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said it will improve communication and coordination efforts with military forces following the recent misencounter in Jolo, Sulu, which led to the death of four soldiers.

“There are really lessons to be learned from this incident. On the part of PNP we will make efforts to coordinate, communicate with our partners in the armed forces,” PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said over CNN Philippines when asked about measures to avoid misencounter like the recent one in Sulu.

“We will emphasize in our training in all our activities, the importance of presence of mind, of discipline, and then of course, proper coordination and communication. It is one thing that we can really do to prevent this incident from happening in the future,” he added.

To recall, four soldiers were fatally shot by police officers some 50 meters from the Jolo police station on Monday afternoon. The Western Mindanao Command has requested the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct an impartial probe into the shooting incident.

Banac said the police officers involved in the shooting failed to identify the soldiers due to lack of proper communication.

“We consider this a misencounter, a case where our cops might not have been able to identify properly those soldiers, our colleagues in security forces. This is a very unfortunate incident for maybe lack of proper coordination, lack of proper communication between and among ourselves,” Banac said.

PNP earlier assured the public that they will cooperate with the NBI for the investigation into the fatal encounter with military forces.

JPV