Duterte wants to talk with cops involved in killing soldiers in Sulu – Roque

July 1, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte wants to talk to the policemen involved in the death of four soldiers in Jolo, Sulu, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

In a television interview, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte was "extremely sad" with the "misencounter" that happened between the military and the members of the Philippine National Police.

He said Duterte shared his sentiment during his meeting on Tuesday night with some members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

"He ordered the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to fast-track the investigation," he said.

"Without revealing when and where the meeting will take place, the President asked (Interior and Local Government) Secretary (Eduardo) Año that he want to talk with the policemen, the nine policemen who allegedly shot the four Army personnel, including a major," Roque added.

He said Duterte also wants to visit Sulu to lift the morale of the soldiers.

Quoting Duterte, he said the soldiers and the policemen should not kill each other.

"And he said, he hopes this is the last misencounter under his term," he stressed.

Both the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP want the NBI to conduct an impartial investigation in the deadly incident that took place last Monday.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay earlier said that what happened to the four soldiers was a case of "murder" and a "rubout" and not a misencounter. Celerina Monte/DMS