9 cops in Jolo shooting moved to Camp Crame

MANILA, Philippines — The nine police officers involved in the fatal shooting of four Army soldiers in Jolo, Sulu have been transferred to the Philippine National Police headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City, the PNP announced yesterday.

Staff Sergeants Almudzrin Hadjaruddin, Iskandar Susulan and Ernisar Sappal; Patrolmen Alkajal Mandangan, Rajiv Putalan and Moh Nur Parsani; Senior M/Sgt. Abdelzhimar Padjiri; M/Sgt. Hanie Baddiri, and Cpl. Sulki Andaki left Cotabato City on a Cebu Pacific flight at around 8:55 a.m. on Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, spokesman for the PNP, said the policemen arrived at Camp Crame at around 11 a.m. and placed under restrictive custody, which means they could not leave their quarters without permission from their superiors.

Banac said the presence of the police officers at Camp Crame would ensure their availability once summoned by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“The nine Jolo policemen will undergo further investigation by the NBI,” Banac said.

The transfer of the police officers was delayed after one of them tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 after undergoing rapid test.

Banac said the policeman turned out negative for the virus during the confirmatory polymerase chain reaction or swab testing.

The police officers were accused of killing four Army troopers in Jolo on June 29.

On Friday, President Duterte talked with the officers involved in the shooting during his visit at a military camp in Zamboanga City.

The PNP initially described it as a misencounter, but recanted and said it was a shooting incident.

PNP chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa has relieved Jolo municipal police chief Maj. Walter Annayo from his post.