‘2 slain PAF men had clean record’

MANILA, Philippines - Two Air Force members were killed in the alleged shootout in Quezon province last Sunday, and neither had any bad record while in the service, a senior military official said yesterday.

First Lt. Jim Beam Justiniani and S/Sgt. Armando Lescano were dependable in performing their tasks, according to Maj. Gen. Edgardo Rene Samonte, chief of the Air Education and Training Command.

“They do not have any record or cases in our unit,” Samonte said in a phone patch with reporters.

He said he had worked with Justiniani when the latter was with the police squadron unit.

“I would issue orders to him from time to time because he was the executive officer no. 2 of our police squadron,” Samonte said. “(Justiniani was) very dependable and as I have observed, he was very dedicated in his service.”

Samonte also described the late Air Force lieutenant as close to other soldiers.

“He was respected and followed by our soldiers,” he said.

The Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, on the other hand, has disowned the two other fatalities bearing ID cards of the ISAFP.

As for Lescano, Samonte said the late Air Force sergeant was an experienced soldier. He said Lescano used to be in charge of soldiers in the intelligence and investigation branch of the air police.

“He was well-versed in his work as a member of the air police,” Samonte said.

“According to his squadron commander, he did not know of any illegal activity by Sergeant Lescano,” he added.