PNP chief says probers looking into case of ambush in Samar misencounter

Philippine National Police chief Dir. Gen. Oscar D. Albayalde.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Authorities are investigating whether the bloody mistaken encounter between government troops in Samar was an ambush, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Dir. Gen. Oscar D. Albayalde said Thursday.

Albayalde said the incident appeared to be an ambush by the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) because they were in a vantage position.

“Sila (military) ang may advantage dyan that’s why it looks like an ambush,” the police chief said in a press conference at Camp Crame.

(The military was in advantage in the incident that’s why it looks like an ambush.)

READ: Joint panel to summon PNP and AFP execs over Samar misencounter

“Although that is now being investigated ang gusto nating makita dito kung alam ba nila na pulis na yan at inambush pa sila o pinagbabaril pa sila at sinabi nila na yung una may tumba agad,” he added.

(Although that is now being investigated and we want to see here if they [military] know that they were policemen and they still proceeded with the ambush or the policemen returned fire.)

Six members of the PNP 805th Mobile Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8 (RMFB8) were killed while nine others were wounded in a bloody snafu with the members of the 87th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in Sta. Rita, Samar on Monday morning.

Both troops were targeting members of the New People’s Army (NPA). /jpv