Hontiveros seeks investigation on 'dramatic, traumatic misencounter' between PNP-PDEA

Senator Risa Hontiveros is set to file a resolution, in aid of legislation, to conduct a Senate investigation on the recent 'misencounter' between the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

"We need to look into this further. It is very alarming that this is not the first time that such a 'misencounter' has happened. The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) did admit that this has happened numerous times. These 'misencounters' should be rare, not common," Hontiveros said.

The shooting incident occurred along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, killing two policemen. According to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 6, the QCPD's District Special Operations Unit conducted a buy-bust operation near Ever Gotesco Mall. However, the DSOU officers were not aware that they were transacting with PDEA's Special Enforcement Service (SES) agents.

"How could this have happened, at all, in the first place? Why did the shootout take place for as long as an hour? Hindi ba pwedeng magkalinawan, even within the first few minutes, that a misencounter breaks out?" the senator asked.

"There was a dramatic lack of coordination between the PNP and PDEA. Someone somewhere must have been grossly negligent. Ang laki ng intelligence funds nila pareho pero ganyan ang nangyari," Hontiveros said, citing that for the year 2021, the PNP has an intelligence fund of P856 million while PDEA has P500 million.

Hontiveros also hopes that the Board of Inquiry formed by the PNP will get to the bottom of what happened.

"The Board of Inquiry will have to tell the public the full and true story as they can discover it, including kung nasaan yung nile-legitimate anti-drug operation or nasaan yung bina-buy bust operation. Sino sila? All those details are needed just to put the public's mind and heart at rest about the very dramatic and traumatic 'misencounter' that happened last night," Hontiveros concluded.