Cascolan assures strong ‘partnership, brotherhood’ with military forces
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan vowed to have strong partnership and brotherhood with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to prevent incidents like the June 29 fatal shooting of four military intelligence officers in Jolo, Sulu.
“Well, for as long as I am the chief PNP, at the same time I have my partner, chief of staff of AFP Gen. Gilbert Gapay, we assure you that nothing will happen then. We will assure the community and the public that the AFP and PNP are strong in partnership and it will be a brotherhood that we will have to keep,” Cascolan said during a PNP-AFP joint press briefing at Camp Crame, Quezon City on Wednesday.
The nation’s top cop said this after a reporter asked if there will be no more issues between the coordination of PNP and AFP similar to the killing of four soldiers by nine policemen in Jolo, Sulu.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, former PNP chief, said in a previous Senate hearing on the Jolo shooting that distrust between AFP and PNP forces may have caused the killing of the four soldiers.
At one point in the Senate hearing, Gapay called the Jolo shooting “very unique” because the security forces are always working closely during operations.
Gapay, meanwhile, did not directly respond to the reporter’s query but noted that they will continue to enhance joint coordination with police to combat security threats.
“In addressing the various internal security threats, joint na natin ki-no-confront natin ito; that’s why nakapaloob dito sa ating updated campaign plan is to really enhance joint intelligence, joint operations wherein yung capabilities ng AFP at PNP are fused para mas malakas dahil aminado naman tayo may kahinaan din ang AFP sa ibang lugar,” he said.
(In addressing the various internal security threats, we are confronting this jointly; that’s why we are doing this updated campaign plan to really enhance joint intelligence and joint operations wherein the capabilities of AFP and PNP are fused so that this would be strengthened because we must admit that AFP has weaknesses in some areas.)
READ: NBI files murder raps vs 9 cops for death of 4 Army men in Jolo
