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MANILA – The 9 police officers tagged in the murder of 4 soldiers in Jolo, Sulu in June last year were released despite a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) that the Philippine National Police (PNP) keep them under custody, said Secretary of Justice Menardo Guevarra. Tuesday.
“The 9 policemen were released despite requests from the DOJ with the PNP to hold them for a time until the arrest warrants were issued,” Guevarra told reporters in a text message.
His statement came a day after PNP Chief General Debold Sinas announced that the 9 police officers accused of killing 4 army intelligence officers in Jolo, Sulu, had been removed from service and released from PNP headquarters at Camp Crame “sometime in the past week” due to outstanding arrest warrants.
Sinas said the PNP has been coordinating with the DOJ and is avoiding the possibility of being charged with arbitrary detention.
Philippine criminal law requires that suspects can only be detained without charge for up to 36 hours.
Guevarra said the Justice Department is anticipating issuing the arrest warrants soon, but that the shutdown in Sulu got in the way.
“Prosecutors from the Justice Department presented the criminal information against the 9 police officers on January 4. The court was supposed to issue the arrest warrants from then on, but apparently did not do so due to the current closure in Sulu, “he explained.
Prosecution attorney Honey Delgado, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office, said the court would have to determine probable cause to issue arrest warrants.
“If Sulu is still on lockdown, the courts may not be operating at full capacity, they may or may not delay the process,” Delgado said.
He explained that no criminal charges were immediately brought against the police as the complaint went through a preliminary investigation.
“No judicial process was carried out, only a preliminary investigation. NBI submitted the complaint for preliminary investigation on July 21, 2020, ”he said.
The DOJ announced its indictment on January 4.
Police Master Sergeant Major. Abdelzhimar Padjiri, Police Master Sgt. Hanie Baddiri, Senior Police Sgt. Iskandar Susulan, Ernisar Sappal and Admudzrin Hadjaruddin, Chief of Police. Sulki Andaki and patrolmen Moh Nur Pasani, Alkajal Mandangan and Rajiv Putalan face 4 counts of murder and 1 count of planting evidence regarding the June 2020 incident that saw them fire at the vehicle of 4 Army intelligence officers.
Army officers Maj. Marvin Indammog, Cpt. Irwin Managuelod, Sgt. Jaime Velasco and Cpl. Abdal Asula was on the trail of 2 alleged members of the Abu Sayyaf Group.
The PNP had tried to describe the incident as a wrong encounter, but the Armed Forces of the Philippines denounced it as murder.
The National Bureau of Investigation found that the 4 soldiers were shot in the back and that the police allegedly placed a firearm next to Indammog’s body.
Shooting in Jolo, Attorney General’s Office, Honey Delgado’s Office, Secretary of Justice Menardo Guevarra, Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, PNP Chief, General Debold Sinas
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