The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed criminal complaints against Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents and Philippine National Police (PNP) officers before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday (Sept. 6) on the “misencounter” between the two operations in February where five deaths were recorded.
Four PDEA agents and one police officer are facing a complaint of homicide for three of the deaths in the operation while one PDEA agent and eight are facing attempted homicide complaints.
Three police officers and other Quezon City Police District (QCPD) members that have yet to be identified are also facing complaints of direct assault with physical injuries, direct assault with less serious physical injuries, and direct assault.
Moreover, one PDEA personnel has been charged with falsification of official documents. Three cops and other QCPD members being identified are also facing a complaint of robbery while 5 QCPD officers are charged with conniving or consenting to evasion.
In relation to this, the PDEA said it “commits to cooperate in the legal process and exhaust all legal remedies available relative to the filing of cases against the members of the PNP and the PDEA who were involved in a ‘misencounter’ last Feb. 24.”
In a statement, the agency considers the filing of cases as an “opportunity to answer all allegations” against the two parties.
“This also allows the legal process to ensue and ultimately determine the accountability of those involved and eventually obtain justice,” the statement read.
A buy-bust operation on Feb. 24 turned into a “misencounter” between the PNP and the PDEA following a shootout between the two parties.
READ MORE: PDEA, PNP operations turn into ‘misencounter’
Report from Bea Bernardo/NGS- bny
