Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Debold Sinas on Friday has approved the dismissal from service of nine police officers involved in the 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 (DOJ) investigating body that after 10 days once their dismissal is finalized and the court has not issued any warrant of arrest against them, we will turn them over to their relatives and we won't have any jurisdiction over them,” Sinas told the Philippine News Agency in a text message.
Sinas said once dismissed from PNP service, the nine officers would become civilians and the police have no legal basis to detain them.
"We might face allegations of arbitrary detention. This is why we are coordinating with the DOJ that is investigating the criminal case to fast track its filing. And we would hold them to the maximum period allowable. Hopefully, a warrant of arrest would be issued against them soon,” Sinas added.
Administrative charges were earlier filed against Senior M/Sgt. Abdelzhimar Padjiri; M/Sgt. Hanie Baddiri; S/Sgt. Iskandar Susulan; S/Sgt. Ernisar Sappal; Cpl. Sulki Andaki; Pat. Mohammed Nur Pasani; S/Sgt. Almudzrin Hadjaruddin; Pat. Alkajal Mandangan; and Pat Rajiv Putalan.
Based on the findings of the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS), also facing administrative charges are Jolo town police chief, Lt. Col. Walter Annayo, Sulu provincial police chief Lt. Col. Michael Bayawan Jr., and Capt. Ariel Corsino, head of the Sulu drug enforcement unit, as they are also liable under the doctrine of command responsibility.
Annayo was gunned down by a still unidentified suspect in Maguindanao on November last year.
Charges of murder and planting of evidence were filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Officer-in-charge Eric Distor following the findings of the NBI Western Mindanao Regional Office and Death Investigation Division.
Killed in the June 29 incident in Jolo, Sulu were Maj. Marvin A. Indammog, 39; Capt. Irwin B. Managuelod, 33; Sgt. Jaime M. Velasco, 38; and Cpl. Abdal Asula, 33.
The four soldiers were conducting intelligence and monitoring operations against two suspected suicide bombers when gunned down by the nine Jolo police officers.