De Lima: NBI has already identified source of 6-minute viral video of shot PNP-SAF member

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. Screenshot from Zamboanga Times footage.

MANILA — Justice Secretary Leila M. De Lima on Monday said that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has already identified the source of the six-minute viral video that showed a wounded member of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) being shot at close range.

“NBI has already identified kung saan nanggaling, sinong nag-upload ng video,” De Lima said in an ambush interview on Monday.

The video showed a man sprawled on a cornfield in camouflage uniform who was later identified by relatives as Police Officer 1 Joseph Sagonoy, one of the 44 PNP-SAF men being shot twice at close range.

The PNP-SAF commandos were on a mission to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan” and Filipino bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman.

The video also showed the group, most of whom were armed, taking magazines and other ammunition from several other fallen men, again, in camouflage uniform.

Gunfire is repeatedly heard in the background while at least two of the perpetrators shouted, “Allah hu akbar!”

De Lima said that the NBI is still working to further authenticate the video.

“Because this will be used as evidence. This will not be admissible unless authenticated,” she said.

“Dapat alamin, yung nag-upload ba nyan yun rin ang kumuha ng video or was it a secondary source? Para ma-trace kung sino talaga ang kumuha (We should determine if the one who uploaded the video is also the one who tool it, or was it a secondary source, so we can trace who really shot the video). Whoever took that video should be the one to authenticate,” she added.

De Lima said that if the one who took that video is also involved in the killing, in the whole incident, “the question is will he cooperate in affirming the video?”