By Aaron Recuenco
Counter-insurgency operations of police forces in Mindoro provinces and nearby areas have been suspended following the misencounter between soldiers and cops in Samar on Monday that left six lawmen dead and nine others wounded.
At the same time, Chief Supt. Emmanuel Luis Licup, director of the MIMAROPA Mindoro Occidental and Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) regional police, has instructed the commanders of anti-insurgency units under his command to initiate dialogue with local military forces for training and discussion on how to strengthen their coordination protocol.
Licup said the move is to ensure that the incident in Samar would not be repeated at least in his area of jurisdiction.
But he was quick to clarify that only essential police-initiated operations against communist rebels and other threat groups would be allowed provided that coordination protocols are well-established with the military.
