Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Debold Sinas said the nine cops involved in a shooting incident which resulted in the death of four Army intelligence officers in Sulu on June 29, 2020 were released from their custody.

“They were released because no warrant of arrest was given to us… (They were released) Sometime last week,” Sinas said in a press briefing.

“We have coordinated with the DOJ (Department of Justice) and all (concerned agencies), until now there is no (warrant of arrest),” he added.

Sinas said they don’t want to be charged for arbitrary detention and clarified that the dismissal order he signed last week can be implemented.

“So we turned them over to their relatives and lawyers,” he said.

Sinas earlier urged the DOJ investigating panel to speed up the filing of criminal cases as the alleged suspects will no longer be under jurisdiction.

The six Police Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCO) of Jolo Municipal Police Station and three members of the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) of Sulu Provincial Police Office are respondents in a criminal case for murder and planting of evidence filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before the DOJ in connection with the death of four Army intelligence officers. Ella Dionisio/DMS