Lorenzana compares Samar incident to Mamasapano
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana compared the alleged misencounter in Samar province to the bloody Mamasapano massacre in Maguindanao last 2015.
“Accidents in the field happen especially if coordination is poor. What happened in Samar is just like in Mamasapano- lack of prior coordination,” he said.
“Initial report says that the (Philippine National Police) PNP leadership in Samar made the coordination after their troops are in the area or a little late because by then the misencounter washappening,” Lorenzana added.
Lorenzana give his reaction after National Democratic Front Peace Consultant Rey Casambre issued a statement that the rejection of the Department of National Defense and Armed Forces of the Philippines of the ceasefire and peace talks led to the misencounter that killed six policemen.
“Will the investigations reveal the plain and simple truth that the six policemen would still be alive today had not the DND and AFP rejected the stand down of forces which was agreed upon in the GRP-NDFP talks and which the NPA was prepared to observe?,” Casambre said.
“Along with the six policemen, another casualty of the DND-AFP rejection of any kind of ceasefire is the peace talks itself, which President Rodrigo Duterte postponed reportedly upon the request of the military,” he added.
Nine cops were also wounded because of the alleged misencounter between the troops of Philippine Army 87th Infantry Battalion and members of the 805th Mobile Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8 of PNP which took place in the vicinity of Sitio Lonoy, Barangay San Roque, Sta Rita, Samar around 9:20 am of June 25.
PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde said two out of the nine wounded police personnel were discharged from hospital while the seven are in stable condition.
“Out of the nine two were discharge from the hospital. The seven are out of danger that was declared by the doctor yesterday” he said.
Maj. Gen. Raul Farnacio, Army’s 8th Infantry Division Commander, said Lt. Col. Arnel Floresta, the commander of Army’s 87th Infantry Battalion, was relieved on Thursday pending the result of the investigation on the incident.
“I relieved him pending the conduct of investigation so that he will not influence (the investigation, he is) temporarily relieved,” Farnacio said.
The PNP also relieved Superintendent Glen Oliver Cinco, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8 officer-in-charge and Chief Inspector Don Archie Suspe?e, 805th Mobile Company, RMFB 8 because of the misencounter. Robina Asido/DMS
