Police ground commanders in Samar misencounter sacked

The ground commanders of the police unit involved in the bloody wrong encounter in Samar have been relieved of their duties, the regional police chief of Eastern Visayas said on Wednesday.

Police Regional Office 8 director Chief Supt. Mariel Magaway ordered the relief of Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8 (RMFB8) Commander Supt. Glen Oliver Cinco and Chief Insp. Don Archie Suspeñe, command officer of the RMFB8’s 805th Manuever Company.

This as the Philippine National Police (PNP) launched an investigation on the bloody misencounter between police and military forces in Sta. Rita, Samar where six policemen were killed and nine others were wounded.

The PNP has formed a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to investigate the incident. Directorate for Integrated Police Operations Eastern Visayas Dir. Rolando Felix will lead the BOI investigation. Directorate for Operations Executive Officer Chief Supt. Rene Pamuspusan, Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management Executive Officer Chief Supt. Adelio Benjamin Castillo, and a representative from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group will also participate in the investigation.

The BOI would serve as a support group, and coordinate closely with its counterparts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), PNP spokesperson Sr. Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. explained.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of National Defense (DND) also formed its own BOI to look into the lapses in coordination and communication in the unfortunate incident.   /kga

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