Shootout between Ilocos cops, soldiers probed

STA. LUCIA, Ilocos Sur – The public image of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army has further shrunk after they themselves shot it out recently inside a beerhouse resulting to the death of a policeman and a civilian in barangay Catayagan here. Worse, both the Army and the PNP leadership refused to issue an official statement on the controversial shootout, making newsmen based here to report conflicting news stories about it.

As this developed, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group started yesterday to look into the controversial recent shootout between the Army troopers and the PNP while the CPP/NPA came out the other day with a statement denouncing the abusive acts by the two government forces.

“We are now investigating the shootout and we may come up with an official report on the incident,” Senior Superintendent Marvin Bolabola, CIDG Ilocos region chief, told newsmen.

The Alfredo Cesar Command of the CPP/NPA based here, accused the Philippine Army and the PNP of displaying firepower and abusive acts, saying the Army has no respect to civilians.

Reports said that on, or about 11:30 midnight of April 19, five unidentified members of the Army who were reportedly drinking liquor inside a beerhouse here shot dead SPO3 Joefrey Palacio of the  Sta. Lucia PNP and a civilian identified as Melchor Angeles.

The PNP headed by Inspector Joseph Cabreros, chief of police here, and three of his men have reportedly arrived in the beerhouse to check the presence of armed men who turned out to be members of the 77th IB of the Army. This has started the incident when the Army who left after being questioned by the PNP, returned to the beerhouse and slapped Cabreros.

Palacio tried to rescue his officer but was immediately fired upon by the unidentified soldiers.

But other versions based on the reports gathered by Inspector Rolando Battulayan, newly-designated chief of police here, showed that Cabreros and his three policemen arrived in the area in civilian clothes, then tried to question the Army inside the beerhouse. “Nang makita daw ni Palacio na si Cabreros ay tinutu­tukan ng mga armadong Army ay nagtang­kang sumaklolo ito ngunit inunahan siya ng mga Army. Nang makarining ng putok itong sibiliyan na si Angeles ay tumakbo. Binaril din siya, said Battulayan who tried to avoid giving statements to the media, saying the headquarters should be the one to issue official statements about the incident.

Newsmen tried to get the result of the investigation, but Senior Superintendent Virgilio Fabros, Ilocos Sur PNP director, continued to ignore newsmen and refused to face them, raising suspicion he is trying to whitewash the investigation, if not hiding it to the public.

“Matagal na naman nating alam na ang policy ng mga pulis kung ganyan na rumeresponde ay dapat naka-uniform sila at may dalang marked vehicle ng PNP, ngunit hindi ito sinunod ni Cabreros,” said Battulayan.

In a statement  issued by the CPP/NPA aired yesterday by the local dzTP radio station in Candon City, the rebels asked the media to report the incident to let the public know about the abusive acts of the Army whom they accused of abusing civilians even before they were detailed in Barangay Catayagan  here. – Myds Supnad