Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 2)— Two opposition lawmakers are seeking a probe into Monday’s fatal shooting incident in Jolo, Sulu, which left four Army intelligence officers dead.
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday filed Senate Resolution No. 460, urging the proper Senate panel to investigate, in aid of legislation, the shooting incident involving personnel from the local Sulu police.
Hontiveros said she is likewise seeking the establishment of measures “against the excessive use of force and violence within the police force.”
“The police gunned down unarmed plainclothes soldiers, who could easily have been innocent civilians,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
She continued: “Ilan pa ang kailangan mamatay — sibilyan man o militar, sa Maynila man o sa Jolo — para matigil ang karahasang ito? Our law enforcers should preserve peace in our communities, not disturb it.”
[Translation: How many people need to die— whether civilian or military, whether in Manila or Jolo— to make the violence stop?]
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan echoed the sentiment, as he also urged the upper chamber to hold an independent investigation in order to give justice to the victims and the families they left behind.
He also urged ground commanders of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure peace and avoid “escalation of tension” among security personnel in the aftermath of the incident.
“We should be going after the common enemy — terrorists, drug lords, armed groups, and in this time of the pandemic, COVID — not against each other,” Pangilinan said.
The four slain Army officers—all from the 9th Intelligence Service Unit of the 11th Infantry Division— were gunned down on Monday by Jolo cops, who had first claimed self defense.
PNP later ruled out the “misencounter” angle, saying that based on their analysis of reports on the ground, the soldiers did not fire a single shot at the police.
The chief of Jolo Police has been relieved from his post following the incident, with PNP citing command responsibility.
The nine cops tagged in the shooting have been disarmed and placed under restrictive custody. They are also facing a third party probe by the National Bureau of Investigation, which has been tasked to submit an initial report on the matter by next week.
The PNP has a lot to do to live up to its motto to ‘serve & protect.’
I filed Reso No. 460 calling for an investigation into the killing of 4 AFP soldiers by PNP in Sulu.
We hope to institutionalize measures against the excessive use of force & violence w/in the police force. pic.twitter.com/9cH0miNMfE
— risa hontiveros (@risahontiveros) July 2, 2020
