PNP files raps vs cops, officers in Jolo shooting

JOLO CRIME SCENE A screen grab from a security camera footage shows the area at the town center of Jolo where four Army soldiers were gunned down by policemen in June. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Administrative charges have been filed against three top police officials in Sulu province and nine of their men over the killing of four Army intelligence officers in Jolo two months ago.

The officials — Lt. Col. Michael Bawayan Jr., Sulu police director; Maj. Walter Annayo, Jolo police chief; and Capt. Ariel Corcino, provincial drug enforcement unit chief — were charged with gross neglect of duty under the doctrine of command responsibility, Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, the Philippine National Police chief, told a press briefing on Monday in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

According to Cascolan, the PNP Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) also filed administrative charges against nine policemen who were named respondents in a criminal case for murder and planting of evidence filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the Department of Justice in connection with the death of four Army soldiers in Jolo on June 29.

Gunned down by policemen in Barangay Walled City in Jolo were Maj. Marvin Indammog and Capt. Irwin Managuelod, members of the 11th Infantry Division’s 9th intelligence service unit; Cpl. Abdal Asula; and Sgt. Jaime Velasco.

The soldiers were pursuing suspected suicide bombers in the Sulu capital when they were accosted by policemen at a checkpoint.

During a hearing conducted by the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs last month, the policemen said the soldiers were killed in a shootout despite the accounts of witnesses.

Restrictive custody

Named respondents by the NBI in the criminal case were Senior MSgt. Abdelzhimar Padjiri, MSgt. Hanie Baddiri, Staff Sergeants Iskandar Susulan and Ernisar Sappal, Cpl. Sulki Andaki, and Pat. Moh Nur Pasani, all of the Jolo police station; and Staff Sgt. Almudzrin Hadjaruddin, Pat. Alkajal Mandangan and Pat. Rajiv Putalan, all of the Sulu drug enforcement unit.

The nine policemen were placed under restrictive custody of the PNP headquarters support service unit and “are readily available to face investigation by the panel of summary hearing officers who will determine probable cause to take further administrative action against them,” Cascolan said.

“I am giving the PNP-IAS (a) free hand in exercising its mandate to determine the administrative liability of the personnel and to impose the appropriate penalty as prescribed under PNP regulations,” he said.

He gave assurance that the 12 respondents in the administrative case would be afforded due process.