"What happened in Sulu was a treacherous, cowardly, ungodly and truly unforgivable act."
We commiserate with the families of the Sulu 4, the military intelligence team gunned down by policemen in a checkpoint in Jolo, some days back We join them and Army Chief Lt. General Gilbert Gapay in seeking justice for the fallen. Based on the reports and testimonies of at least two witnesses it was clear that there was no "misencounter" as was earlier claimed by police authorities in that benighted province. Nor can we characterize it simply as a "shooting incident" as PNP Spokesman Brigadier General Bernard Banac would like us to believe. It was good he corrected himself after describing it as such, a shooting incident, but that the soldiers did not fire any shot. So, the shooting was done solely by the police and should be called for what it was – a rubout. Period.
Saying it was something else would be untruthful and would veer toward a whitewash which should be condemned by all concerned including the police leadership. This is not the time and the place to sugarcoat things for any reason. This is the time to get everything to light and bring those responsible for the death of the Sulu 4 to justice.
So, even as we caution one and all to hold their emotions in place, we must insist that no stone should be left unturned to get at the truth of this dastardly and cowardly act. This, most especially since the Sulu 4 headed by Major Marvin Indammog, CO of the 9th intelligence service unit (ISU) in Sulu, were hot on the tracks of two suspected Abu Sayyaf (ASG) bombers. In fact, they have identified the location of the two suspects and were just cross-checking the exact place where they could be subdued.
With their death, it will now take time before the details of this intelligence undertaking could be reconstructed and the suspects neutralized. That means that any given time from hereon these terrorists can proceed with their deadly mission leaving ordinary folks, whether in Sulu or elsewhere, to a bloody fate.
This gives credence to follow-up reports that a number of the police-gunmen are relatives of the suspected ASG bombers and were able to convince the rest to participate in their treacherous act. Which makes this rubout truly condemnable and the perpetrators deserving of the highest order of punishment. Again, anything less will not suffice.
Not only did they completely undermine the ongoing effort to neutralize the terrorists which, from the look of it, took months of hard work and sacrifice to put in place. They also put in jeopardy the efforts of authorities to finally get the continuing threat of terrorism and lawlessness in the area under control. We are told that this team which also included Captain Irwin managuelod, Sgt. Jaime Velasco, Jr., and Cpl. Abdul Asula were responsible for some of the latest successful campaigns against the ASG.
No less than Task Force Sulu Commander, Major General Corleto Vinluan, noted that the team developed the intelligence packets and reports which led to such successful campaigns such as the "…neutralization of several key ASG personalities like Abu Talha and two Egyptian suicide bombers and the group's links to the Islamic State (ISIS), the rescue of the British-Filipino couple, Allan and Wilma Hyrone, and the three kidnapped Indonesian fishermen.." Then, instead of the team stopping the two suspected bombers on their deadly tracks they were the ones neutralized. By their brothers-in-arms at that. Which makes this more than a rubout: it was a treacherous, cowardly, ungodly and truly unforgivable act