QCPD, PDEA point fingers in Senate probe on February misencounter

DELA ROSA LEADS HEARING ON PDEA-QCPD MISENCOUNTER: Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, presides over a public inquiry Monday, May 24, 2021, on the misencounter between members of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Special Enforcement Service and Quezon City Police District-Special Operations Unit near a mall along Commonwealth Avenue in February this year. (Photo credit/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Anti-drug operatives from the Quezon City Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) pointed fingers at each other during the Senate probe on their alleged misencounter last February.

During the hearing of the Senate committee on public order, Police Maj. Sandie Caparroso, team leader of QC Police, gave his version of the February 24 bloody encounter with  PDEA agents  during a buy-bust  operation near a mall  on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon  City.

Two police officers and two from PDEA— an agent and an informant—were killed in the crossfire.

While the anti-drug operatives were shooting at each other, Caparroso recalled his verbal exchange with his counterpart, who later identified himself as PDEA agent John Bryan Castro.

“In fact, yung isa dun sir nakasagutan ko. Ang pakilala nya team leader daw po sya ng back up. So that very moment, sir, nagtaka ako bakit back up? Back up ba namin? Sino ang bina-back up-an nyo?” the  QC  police  team leader  said.

(In fact, I had a verbal exchange with one of them. He introduced himself as the team leader of the backup. So that very moment sir, I was wondering why was there a back up? Whose backup?)

“During that time, ang sigaw nya is ‘backup kami ng nasa loob’. That’s the time lang sir na clear sakin,  PDEA yung nakakalaban namin sa loob, yung naka engkwentro ng tropa sir.”

(During that time, he was shouting that they were the back up of those men inside. That’s the only  time it became clear to me that we were engaging in a firefight with PDEA agents)

Upon learning this, Caparroso recalled requesting the PDEA’s team leader to contact their agents and stop the shooting but the latter failed to do so.

“Merong isang nagmabuti na PDEA agent sir which I appreciate. Nungg time na yun kasi mainit ang ulo ng boss nya sir e, yung team leader nya, sya ang lumapit sakin. Sabi ko patigilin mo lang kasi kung titigil na yung mga nandyan titigil din yung mga nasa labas…” he further said.

(There was one PDEA agent who approached us. I appreciate that time because when his team leader  was getting hot-headed, he came to me. I told him to just stop firing and those outside would follow.)

While the other PDEA agent was helping the police to stop the shooting, Caparroso hit Castro’s action during the incident.

“Pero yung team leader sir ng PDEA, na nagpakilalang team leader, pilit sir na umiiwas sakin. Sabi ko ikaw ang umano dun kasi team leader ka e. Bakit kailangan mong lumayo?” Caparroso added.

(But the team leader of PDEA, he was trying to avoid me. I told him, ‘you’re the team leader, why are you avoiding me?’)

Castro, who was at the hearing room, was later called to respond to the QC team leader’s claim.

“Hindi po totoo yun (That’s not true), your honor,” he said, when asked by committee chair, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, to confirm Caparroso’s allegations.

In fact, Castro said it was the cops who were cursing at PDEA when they arrived in the area.

“Yung pagdating po namin sir, sila po yung nagmumura sa amin sir. Sya po ang nagtatanong kung ano ako dun sir. Na-identify ko po na PDEA agents kami at ako po ang leader ng responding team,” he said.

(When we arrived sir, they were cursing at us. He was asking what my role there was? We introduced ourselves as PDEA agents, and that I’m the leader of the responding team)

Castro explained that they responded after learning some of their operatives were shot during the encounter.

EDV