MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has authorized the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as the sole agency to investigate the shootout in Quezon City between elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and agents the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Malacañang said Friday.
“Nagdesisyon po ang ating Presidente na tanging NBI lang po ang mag-iimbestiga doon sa putukan na nangyari sa panig ng mga kapulisan at ng PDEA dyan po sa Quezon City,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a video message sent to reporters.
(The President has decided that only the NBI will investigate the shootout between the police and the PDEA in Quezon City.)
“Yung mga binuo pong joint panel na binuo po ng PNP at PDEA ay hindi na po magtutuloy sa kanilang imbestigasyon, tanging NBI lang po sang-ayon sa ating Presidente ang magtutuloy ng imbestigasyon,” he added.
(The joint panel formed by the PNP and PDEA will no longer continue with its investigation. According to the President, only the NBI will continue with the investigation.)
Roque said this was to “ensure impartiality on the Quezon City shootout incident.”
READ: Palace: Duterte to get to the bottom of PNP-PDEA ‘misencounter’
The PNP and PDEA earlier launched a joint inquiry into the shootout that left four persons dead.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra had also ordered the NBI to conduct a parallel investigation on the alleged “misencounter.”
Two policemen, a PDEA agent, and a PDEA informant were killed while four others were wounded.
Both agencies vowed that those at fault will be held responsible.
They also insisted that their respective operatives were conducting legitimate and coordinated buy-bust operations.
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