Probe on PNP-PDEA shootout ‘almost complete’ — Justice chief

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)’s probe on the February shootout between the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Quezon City is nearly accomplished, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Sunday.

“The NBI has almost completed its investigation and is waiting for just one remaining critical report— the result of digital forensic examination of the mobile phones of the operatives involved in the incident. a lot of material evidence is expected to be mined from these devices. The NBI hopes to submit its final report to the DOJ by the end of this month,” Guevarra said in a statement.

The justice chief added that forensic investigators had to look into thousands of pages related to the incident.

“Aside from the tedious process of obtaining cyber warrants, our forensic investigators have had to examine meticulously an average of 22,000 pages of text messages, call logs, videos, and pictures per mobile phone,” Guevarra noted.

In February of this year, two police personnel, a PDEA agent, and a PDEA informer were killed in the gun battle adjacent a Quezon City mall.

PDEA director general Wilkins Villanueva earlier said that the two groups were in separate buy-bust operations that led to the “misencounter.”

RELATED STORIES

PNP-PDEA gunfight: More questions than answers

2 buy-bust operations seen as scenario in QC gunfight between PDEA, PNP

Barbers: No PNP – PDEA shootout if there was proper coordination

je