Military sees no need to relieve soldiers involved in Quezon ‘shootout’

Passengers glance at the bullet-riddled vehicle of suspected criminals along a road in the town of Atimonan in Quezon province, about 140 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines late Sunday Jan. 6, 2013. Philippine army special forces and police killed 13 suspected criminals in a gunbattle Sunday in the latest violence to erupt in the country in the past week. AP

MANILA, Philippines—The military on Thursday said  there is no need to relieve the soldiers involved in the alleged shootout in Quezon last Sunday, which killed 13 suspected criminals and government troops.

Answering in the negative when asked by reporters if they would sack the troops involved in the alleged shootout, Southern Luzon Command Chief  Major General Alan Luga, said, however, that he had instructed those involved to “make themselves available for investigation.”

“Kung may investigation, which is ongoing right now, binigyan ko ng direction yung battalion commander to make themselves available,” Luga said.

There are two teams of Special Forces troops, or 25 soldiers, under investigation, he added.

Several policemen, on the other hand, were relieved due to “lapses.”

Luga maintained that the presence of the soldiers in the area at the time was “legitimate” as they had an agreement with the Philippine National Police to help in suppressing criminality in the area.

“They were fired upon so they retaliated in firing, anyway ongoing yung investigation ng NBI…yun lang yung facts na alam namin. Nandito ngayon yung NBI sa Lucena nag ko-conduct ng investigation and the soldiers ay kinukunan ng mga statements ngayon,” he said.

Meanwhile, Army chief Lieutenant General Emmanuel Bautista also defended the soldiers, saying there was still no basis to relieve the soldiers.

“They were asked to support in the operation so that is what they did, in good faith wala naman silang alam na intentions dun,” he told reporters.