THE Department of Justice (DOJ) said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is almost done with its investigation regarding the shootout between Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents last February.
This announcement was welcomed by PNP Chief, Police General Guillermo Eleazar. “The unfortunate incident between the anti-narcotics operatives of the PNP and the PDEA in Quezon City was a tragedy that we both learned a lot from. As a result of this, a coordination protocol was created by myself and PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva that is now being implemented down to the ground level,” said PGen Eleazar.
The February 24 shootout between the PNP and PDEA operatives near a mall along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City resulted in the death of two police personnel, a PDEA agent and a PDEA informant.
The DOJ said the NBI is close to wrapping up the final report, which could be submitted by the end of this month.
“The public can rest assured that we will discuss whatever the result of the investigation will be in order to improve further the coordination protocol that was developed based on the perspective of the DOJ,” he added.
Although the investigation in the shootout has not yet been concluded, the two agencies signed in July a joint memorandum circular containing the unified guidelines to be implemented and observed by PNP and PDEA operatives in anti-illegal drug operations.
This is to prevent the recurrence of mis-encounters between our operatives, PGen. Eleazar said.
According to the PNP Chief, “We need a united front to win the war on drugs and this is what the memorandum circular ensures: that anti-illegal drug operatives work together to stop the traffic of illegal drugs and eradicate the narcotics trade in the country.”