Dumlao says ‘Coplan Armado’ legitimate

A member of the NBI fornensic team examines one of the bullet riddled SUV at the Municipal Police Station in Atimonan, Quezon where 13 people were killed in an alleged ‘shootout’ with police and military at a checkpoint last January 6.INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

MANILA, Philippines—The commander of the Calabarzon Public Safety Battalion Glen Dumlao on Wednesday defended Coplan Armado, the operation that led to the death of 13 people last Jan. 6.

“Nag comply kami sa utos ng NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) para maipakita ang kooperasyon namin. Gusto namin mailabas ang katotohanan (We complied with NBI’s order to cooperate. We want to bring out the truth),” Dumlao told reporters when he went to the NBI.

“Together with my superior, we insist na legitimate ang Coplan Armado…Legitimate naman ang target namin (we insist that Coplan Armado was legitimate, our target was legitimate),” he said.

Dumlao echoed former Calabarzon Chief James Melad saying that even if the Coplan was disapproved by the Presidential Anti-Organize Crime Commission (PAOCC), the operation was a go.

“It is our mandate to operate against the organized crime group,” Dumlao said.