New panel to reinvestigate Sulu ‘friendly fire’

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – A new and bigger investigating body was created to probe anew the alleged “friendly fire” that killed six members of the military’s special force in Sulu last month, Armed Forces chief Gen. Pio Catapang Jr. said yesterday.

Catapang disclosed the reinvestigation of the case during a visit at the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) as part of his troop visitation.

Last June 19, at least six members of the Joint Special Operations Group (JSOG) were allegedly killed in a “friendly fire” that supposedly came from a 105mm Howitzer in Patikul town.

The firing of the weapon was supposedly to support a troop of soldiers who were engaged in a firefight with the Abu Sayyaf bandits.

Reports said prior to the incident, the soldiers were deployed to reinforce the Marine Force Recon waylaid by the bandits as they were conducting a rescue operation. 

In the initial attack a junior Marine officer, 1Lt. Roger Flores, was killed and several of his men were wounded prompting them to seek for fire support.

The Westmincom initially submitted the results of an investigation conducted by the board of inquiry, but some sectors of the Army were not satisfied with it.

“We have created a new committee to investigate the incident, so there will be no bias,” Catapang said.

The new committee is composed of officials from the Philippine Army, the Philippine Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, and headed by a task force.

Catapang said the new probe body would look into the case at the general headquarters level.