Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police Gen. Debold Sinas said Friday that he has approved the dismissal from the service of nine police officers involved in the fatal shooting of four Army intelligence operatives in Jolo, Sulu in June last year.
“Confirmed and approved (the) dismissal in police service (of the) nine cops involved in the Jolo shooting incident. We had informed the Department of Justice investigating body that after 10 days na ma-finalize ang dismissal nila at wala pa warrant of arrest nila from court ay i-turn over namin ang nine (police officers) sa mga kamag-anak nila at wala na kami jurisdiction sa kanila,” Sinas said.
The nine police officers are Police Senior Master Sgt. Abdelzhimar Padjiri; Police Master Sgt. Hanie Baddiri; Police Staff Sgt. Iskandar Susulan; Police Staff Sgt. Ernisar Sappal; Police Corporal Sulki Andaki; Police Patrolman Mohammed Nur Pasani; Police Staff Sgt. Almudzrin Hadjaruddin; Police Patrolman Alkajal Mandangan; and Police Patrolman Rajiv Putalan.
Once dismissed from the PNP, Sinas said the nine officers would become civilians and they will have no legal basis to detain them.
“We might face allegations of arbitrary detention. This is why we are coordinating with the DoJ (Department of Justice) that is investigating the criminal case to fasttrack its filing. And we would hold them to the maximum period allowable. Hopefully, a warrant of arrest would be issued against them soon,” he added.
The PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) noted that then Jolo police chief, Police Lt. Col. Walter Annayo, Sulu police chief Police Lt. Col. Michael Bayawan Jr., and Police Capt. Ariel Corsino, head of the Sulu Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU), were also facing administrative charges under the doctrine of command responsibility.
Annayo was gunned down by a still unidentified suspect in Maguindanao last November.
Major Marvin A. Indammog, 39; Capt. Irwin B. Managuelod, 33; Sgt. Jaime M. Velasco, 38; and Corporal Abdal Asula, 33, were killed during the incident, triggering a serious rift between the police and the Armed Forces.
The four soldiers were conducting intelligence and monitoring operations against two suspected suicide bombers when they were gunned down by the nine police officers. (Chito Chavez)
