Palace: Duterte to get to the bottom of PNP-PDEA ‘misencounter’

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to “get to the bottom” of the shootout between Philippine National Police (PNP) anti-illegal drug operatives and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Malacañang said Thursday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President expressed both sadness and concern over the “misencounter” last Wednesday in a mall along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

“The President, of course, expressed both sadness and concern bakit nangyari nga ito na kapwa tao ng gobyerno ay nagkaputukan,” he said in a Palace briefing.

(The President expressed both sadness and concern as to why this happened.)

“Ang in-assure niya, gaya ng assurance na ginawa niya noong nangyari ito sa Sulu, ay he will get to the bottom of this incident. Magkakaroon ng impartial investigation at justice will be done,” Roque added.

(He assured me that he will get to the bottom of this incident. An impartial investigation will be conducted and justice will be done.)

Two policemen were killed during the shootout while four others — a police officer and three PDEA operatives – were “badly injured.”

PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana earlier revealed that a board of inquiry will be formed to determine what happened and who should be liable.

According to Usana, PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas tasked the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) as the lead investigating body.

The National Bureau of Investigation will likewise conduct its own probe on the incident, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.

Roque said Malacañang is confident that the truth will be revealed and justice will be done.

“We are confident that with the PNP and PDEA forming an investigation panel and Justice Secretary Guevarra ordering the NBI to conduct its own parallel investigation, that we will know the truth behind this incident and justice will be done,” he said.

/MUF