PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil has ordered a review of PNP’s operational procedures each time a police unit conducts an anti-crime raid or rescue operation.

The PNP chief issued the directive in the wake of the death of a member of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group policeman last August 3 in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The move is meant to ensure that police are highly-trained and equipped each time they face multiple armed adversaries while maintaining marksmanship when they face armed lawbreakers at close range.

According to PNP spokesperson Colonel Jean S. Fajardo, the PNP chief wants to determine if high-powered rifles, including Galil Ace caliber 5.56 rifle, should be used in operations to rescue kidnapping-for-ransom victims or other close-combat battle scenarios.

The weapon killed Police Staff Sergeant Nelson Santiago and seriously wounded Police Chief Master Sgt. Eden Accad during the anti-kidnapping operation in Angeles City.

Col. Fajardo said that the PNP chief ordered the evaluation of their operational procedures amid obvious lapses on the part of some of the AKG personnel which led to the death of Santiago and the wounding of Accad.

“Malungkot si Chief PNP dahil nalagasan na naman tayo ng pulis. Without condemning the policeman who accidentally killed his colleague, Gen. Marbil wants to find out kung ano ba dapat ang gawin sa ganitong operation.

Dapat bang long firearms, dapat bang me ganitong kalakas na ammo na might endanger the life of the police and others. Preservation of life ang gusto niya,” she said.

Gen. Marbil ordered the investigation of the team leaders of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group involved in the successful rescue operation last August 3.

“Baka me mali sa manner of entry at bakit ganoon ang nangyari? Me pagkukulang ba ang team leaders sa planning, sa entry, pati sa equipment. That’s what the PNP chief wants to find out,” she said.

It turned out that Accad and Santiago were not wearing bullet-proof vests when they started clearing the kidnappers’ safehouse. The AKG agent who fired the shot that killed Bautista also had no flashlight in his weapon when he and his fellows entered the dimly-lit kidnappers’ lair.

Col. Fajardo said that in the aftermath of the unfortunate incident, the PNP chief would like to see if there is really a need to use assault rifles like the Galil Ace and their powerful ammunition during rescue operations and other police anti-criminality raids.

She said that the PNP-AKG investigation showed that Bautista and Accad, along with their team leader, were among the policemen ordered to ‘clear’ the kidnappers’ safehouse in De Guzman St. in Sitio Feliza, Angeles City.

It turned out that the accused, with the rank of patrolman, accidentally squeezed the Galil’s trigger and fired a single shot that first struck Accad before hitting Santiago. The accused belonged to an AKG ‘entering team.’

Santiago died of a lone gunshot wound in the left chest which affected his aorta and lung. Realizing that he had hit his two colleagues, the Patrolman wasted no time in bringing them to the Angeles University Foundation Medical Center where Santiago was pronounced dead upon arrival. Accad remained in a guarded condition at the same hospital as of press time.

Col. Fajardo said that a forensic examination showed that the slug recovered from Santiago’s body was fired from the Galil rifle of the accused who has been charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and serious physical injury and is now being held at the PNP-AKG lock-up facility in Camp Crame.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon