Bong Go urges law enforcement agencies to improve coordination efforts after PNP-PDEA shootout; says his heart bleeds for those who lost their lives
By OSBG
MANILA, Feb. 26 — Senator Christopher “Bong” Go urged law enforcement agencies, particularly the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, to improve inter-agency coordination after a recent encounter between the operatives and personnel of the two agencies resulted in the death of four people.
“Importante po dito ang koordinasyon dahil puro naman ‘yan magkakakilala. So dapat ang close coordination between law enforcement agencies ay paigtingin pa po,” Go said during his monitoring visit of the Malasakit Center in Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City, Pangasinan on Friday, February 26.
He said that if a law is needed to institutionalize better coordination between PNP and PDEA, he is willing to support such measure to prevent similar unfortunate incidents from happening in the future.
“Kung kailangan ng batas, I am willing to support. ‘Wag lang po mangyari ang mga ganitong aksidente,” he said.
The Senator lamented the violent incident, saying that drug criminals are now mocking law enforcers over it. He added that his heart and President Rodrigo Duterte’s “bleed” for the killed law enforcers.
“Tumatawa po ang mga durugista na ito. Hindi po ang PDEA o law enforcer ang dapat nakabulagta doon. Ang dapat pong nakabulagta doon, ‘yung mga drug dealer,” Go said.
“Kung sila po ang nakabulagta doon sa sahig, ako mismo ang papalakpak ‘pag drug lord at drug dealer ang nakabulagta doon. Pero pag pulis o PDEA ang nakabulagta, nagdurugo ang puso namin ni Pangulong Duterte,” he added.
Go shared that President Duterte has already ordered the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation to take charge of the investigation.
“Inatasan na po ni Pangulong Duterte ang NBI na mag-imbestiga at lumabas ang katotohanan at para malaman ng publiko ang katotohanan, malaman ng pamilya ng mga biktima ng unfortunate incident na ‘yun ang katotohanan,” Go said.
“Kailangan natin malaman ang katotohanan para ‘di na po mangyaring muli ang napakasakit na unfortunate incident na ito na napakasakit pong isipin na puro pa law enforcement agencies ang nagbabarilan,” he added.
The PNP and PDEA have also both sent their representatives to a joint investigation by a board inquiry to find out why PDEA agents and police officers engaged in a gunfight near a mall in Quezon City Wednesday night. The agencies also promised that those found responsible for the incident will be prosecuted.
Two police personnel, a PDEA agent and a PDEA informer were killed in the shootout, while an officer and three PDEA agents were wounded.
PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas and PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva have described the incident as “the saddest day in the history of drug law enforcement.”
Go then asked the public to wait for the results of the investigations. “Hintayin po natin ang resulta dahil ito po ay unfortunate na incident.”
“Hindi natin inakala na mangyayari at ‘di natin inaasahan na mangyayari dahil ito po ay dalawang law enforcement agencies na lumalaban sa droga,” he added.
Meanwhile, Go continues to express his support for law enforcers. “Kami po ni Pangulo, full support kami sa pulis, full support kami sa PDEA. Kapag nagkakaso sila in line of duty, susuportahan namin sila. Ayoko na po magbigay ng komento. Hintayin na po natin (ang resulta ng imbestigasyon).” (OSBG)
