Four intel soldiers frequently spotted near Sulu police office prior to killings

FOUR UNDERCOVER soldiers killed by cops in the southern Philippine province of Sulu had been frequently spotted near the police anti-narcotics office in the capital town of Jolo.

President Rodrigo Duterte speaks to military commanders at the Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City on July 3, 2020. (Robinson Niñal, Jr)

This was bared by Brigadier General Manuel Abu in an exclusive report by UNTV on July 3 – the same day President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Zamboanga City and spoke with military commanders in an effort to defuse a brewing tension between policemen and soldiers following the killing of 4 army intelligence officers on June 29. The interview can be accessed on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okEV_PL_SMM&feature=youtu.be

Duterte, who looked pale and haggard, arrived Friday night at the Edwin Andrews Air Base, and appealed to the military to stay calm as he ordered an investigation into the killings.

According to the army, the soldiers, all clad in civilian clothes, were driving a car on a covert mission to capture 2 suicide bombers, when policemen intercepted them in Jolo town and ordered the agents to come with them to the police headquarters so they can verify their identities.

But the police said cops opened fire on the soldiers after they sped off and allegedly tried to shoot the lawmen, an allegation strongly denied by the military.

“Malalim kasi ang istorya, itong mga pulis ko dito noong Marso 14, may napatay na involved sa drugs yun DEU natin. It so happen na yun driver noong apat is a relative nitong napatay,” said Abu.

UNTV reported that members of the police Drug Enforcement Unit and municipal police mounted an anti-narcotic operation on March 14 and killed suspected drug pushers Albasir Bakil Jinul and a man known only by his alias Kayam.

It said Abu Jinul was a relative of Corporal Abdal Asula, one of the four army soldiers killed in Jolo. The others were Major Marvin Indammog, Captain Irwin Managuelod, and Sergeant Jaime Velasco – all assigned with the Intelligence Service Unit. 

However, in was unclear on the UNTV report if the slaying of Jinul was connected to the killings of the soldiers. Police initially said the killing of the soldiers was a mis-encounter, but later corrected this report and said it was a “shooting” incident.

Abu said the car used by the soldiers had been spotted the past days prior to the shooting incident near the DEU office in Jolo and this prompted the police to surveil the vehicle. “Tawag nung isang taga-DEU na yun sighted na sasakyan noong isang araw ay nakita na naman doon sa tapat niya, eh yun tinambayan dati doon ng mga yun ay DEU personnel din, so natawagan na,” he told UNTV.

Because of this, he said a team of policemen and DEU personnel arrived on a patrol car and inspected the car and its passengers, who turned out to be armed and identified themselves as soldiers. But the soldiers failed to show any identification cards.

 “So sabi ng pulis para hindi na lang sila magtalo doon sa daan, doon na lang sila mag-usap sa istasyon para under investigation talaga. Pagdating sa may police station imbes na tumigil sila, nauuna yun sasakyan ng army, eh tumakbo, hinabol ng pulis na nakasakay ng mobile, mobile naman ang dala ng pulis, eh sila naka-sibilyan,” Abu said.

The UNTV also showed video clips of the soldiers’ car speeding past the police station with the patrol car eventually giving a chase. It showed armed policemen on foot heading to the car that stopped nearby. The next video showed the soldiers lay dead on the street.

Another clip showed the arrival of armed soldiers in civilian clothes and one of them picked up an automatic rifle near one of the slain soldiers.  While another soldier opened the car’s door and inspected the vehicle.

Abu said: “Baka pakasuhan ko pa sila ng obstruction of justice eh kasi pagka-ganyan na nay namatay na hindi dapat guluhin yun encounter site, ginulo nila.”

Colonel Ramon Zagala, an army spokesman, admitted what the soldiers did was wrong.

“Chineck nila yun pulse kung may buhay and secured the vehicle, so from take down team to rescue, to recovery at makikita mo rin sa video na parang may bumubukas ng pinto, at yun bumubukas ng pinto ay brother ng isa namin operative kasi alam niya na yun brother niya ang driver, so out of his instinct, sini-secure niya ang gamit ng brother niya,” he said.

The Western Mindanao Command said the killings were not connected to illegal drugs and the National Bureau of Investigation is now handling the case. “Wala tayong makitang any, parang na-involved yun ating mga kasudaluhan, pero anyway lahat naman yan ay kino-consider ng NBI at wala tayong itatago,” said Major Arvin Encinas, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command.

Impartial probe

Duterte promised for an impartial investigation, assuring justice for the slain soldiers. 

“Pumunta ako dito hihingi ako ng tulong ninyo. I am pleading. Nakikiusap ako. Nihangyo ko ninyo na tabangan ko ninyo pagpakalma to keep the waters in the meantime calm and we wait for the result of the investigation. I am giving you my word of honor that the investigation will proceed to find out the truth unfettered, unbridled by anybody except ‘yung sa trabaho. Walang makialam at ‘yung totoo lang. Iyon ang maasahan ninyo. At kung sino man ang may kasalanan, then he has to pay for it.”

“What I’m saying is we’re trying to figure out how we can in the meantime do something to give you the assurance that justice will be done. So I’m giving it to you, I said, as a word of honor of a President na I will find out the truth from the investigators and I hope that it would satisfy all,” he told the military.

Duterte said he was saddened by the incident and started reminding soldiers all the benefits and increase in salaries he gave them and ensured the welfare of the police and the military has always been his top priority since becoming president in 2016. (Zamboanga Post)

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