The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has welcomed the issuance of arrest warrants against the nine policemen accused of killing four Philippine Army (PA) intelligence personnel in Jolo, Sulu last June.
"Albeit issued belatedly, we are glad that the Regional Trial Court Branch 3 of Jolo found prabable cause to issue warrant for the arrest of the nine suspects in the murder of four Army intelligence personnel," Major Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, said Friday.
"The arrest and subsequent detention of the suspects is without bail indicating that the court considers that the evidence of their guilt is strong."
Last Thursday, the Department of Justice announced that the Jolo, Sulu Regional Trial Court has ordered the arrest of the nine Jolo cops who were implicated in the killing of Major Marvin Indammog, Capt. Irwin Managuelod, Sgt. Jaime Velasco, and Corporal Abdal Asula in a checkpoint in Jolo on June 29, 2020.
The Army personnel were conducting an operation to arrest suspected suicide bombers when they were flagged down in the checkpoint by the nine cops who had been dismissed by Philippine National Police Police Gen. Debold Sinas.. A confrontation ensued which led to the death of the four Army personnel.
The accused cops are Police Senior Master Sgt. Abdelzhimar Padjiri, Master Sgt. Hannie Baddiri, Staff Sgts. Iskandar Susulan and Ernisar Sappal, Corporal Sulki Andaki, Patrolman Mohammad Nur Pasani, all of the Jolo Municipal Police Station; and Staff Sgt. Almudzrin Hadjaruddin and Patrolmen Alkajal Mandangan and Rajiv Putalan, of the Sulu Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit.
They were charged with multiple murder and planting of evidence by the Department of Justice last Jan. 4.
AFP chief Gen. Gilbert Gapay was disappointed after the Philippine National Police (PNP) released the nine policemen from its custody, saying that no warrant of arrest had been issued against them by the court despite the filing of charges.
But since the court has already issued an arrest warrant, Arevalo called on the accused cops to surrender and face the charges filed against them.
"We urge the respondent police personnel to surrender or else the AFP, the PNP, and other agencies of government will vigorously search, find, and deliver them to court without delay to face trial for multiple murder," Arevalo said.