Teams deployed to track down 9 dismissed Jolo cops

MANILA – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Debold Sinas, on Monday said a team has been deployed to track down nine dismissed police officers implicated in the fatal shooting of four Army intelligence operatives last year.

Sinas said the team is composed of personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Intelligence Group (IG) and Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR).

“According to last report, nandun sila sa Jolo lahat nakauwi na. We are negotiating for some ‘yung gusto mag-surrender nakipag-negotiate na they assured ‘yung safety nila (All of them are now in Jolo. We are negotiating with some, those who want to surrender have negotiated, they’re assured of safety),” Sinas told reporters.

He said as long as the nine dismissed cops will surrender, there will be no problem.

“But the manhunt is still ongoing,” he added.

He said if these former police operatives believe they are innocent, they should surrender immediately to clear their names.

Last Jan. 12, the PNP released the nine cops due to the absence of arrest warrants despite the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request to keep them in custody.

Sinas also announced the suspects’ dismissal from service before they were released from the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

Last week, the Jolo Regional Trial Court ordered the arrest of the nine police officers — Senior M/Sgt. Abdelzhimar Padjiri; M/Sgt. Hanie Baddiri; S/Sgt. Iskandar Susulan; S/Sgt. Ernisar Sappal; Cpl. Sulki Andaki; Pat. Moh Nur Pasani; S/Sgt. Almudzrin Hadjaruddin; and Pat. Alkajal Mandangan on charges of murder and planting of evidence.

No bail was recommended for their temporary liberty.

Killed in the June 29, 2020 incident were Maj. Marvin A. Indammog, 39; Capt. Irwin B. Managuelod, 33; Sgt. Jaime M. Velasco, 38, and Cpl. Abdal Asula, 33.

The four soldiers were conducting intelligence and monitoring operations against two suspected suicide bombers when gunned down by the nine Jolo police officers.