Samar ‘misencounter’ report out soon

The joint investigation on the Samar “misencounter” being conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) through a board of inquiry (BOI) is expected to be finished Wednesday.

AFP Inspector General Lieutenant General Rafael Valencia said yesterday that the BOI has already conducted an on-site investigation during which witnesses were interviewed.

A re-enactment of the clash that claimed the lives of six rookie policemen was also carried out, added Valencia.

Nine other policemen, also with the rank of police officer 1 (PO1) like the six killed, were injured, while no one from the Philippine Army contingent who figured in the “misencounter was hurt.”

Speculations about the incident last June 25 were ruled out one by one by the BOI, said Valencia.

“Technically, just as I said yesterday, all the elements of ambush are not present, but that’s just the Army’s point of view, and we still have to clarify it,” said the AFP official.

“President Duterte already said that it was a misencounter, so it was a misencounter,” he added, saying the AFP-PNP BOI will meet today to finalize its report.

The AFP leadership has expressed hope that the incident won’t affect the “strong relationship” between its members and those of the PNP as both organizations have the same task of providing security and keeping the peace in the Philippines.

“Amidst all this challenge, the 8th Infantry Division (8ID) hopes that the people will always have the same trust and confidence on their protectors. It is just (that) sometimes, things do happen beyond our control,” said 8ID Army Commander Major General Raul M. Francisco