“How did this happen and how can incidents like these be prevented?”
These are the questions Rizal 2nd District Rep. Fidel Nograles hopes will be answered by the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs investigation into the recent shootout between police officers and anti-narcotics agents, which the lawyer-lawmaker backed on Friday amidst calls for an inquiry into the incident that claimed two lives.
“If left unchecked, the public’s confidence in those tasked with upholding the law could be dented.”
The dangerous drugs committee has scheduled a motu proprio investigation into the matter on March 1.
Two persons were killed and four badly injured during the shootout outside a mall along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City early Wednesday evening, which the Philippine National Police called a “misencounter.”
“Sana’y magkaroon ng liwanag sa isyu. As it is, there are a lot of unanswered questions that could cast a shadow on the administration of justice in the country,” the vice-chair of the House Committee on Justice said.
Nograles expressed concern over the “lapses” that have led to the encounter.
He urged law enforcement authorities to “take a long and hard look” at their processes.
“Hindi dapat nangyayari ang ganito. Kailangang i-review ng ating law enforcement agencies ang mga proseso nila nang hindi na maulit sa hinaharap,” the lawmaker said.
“Law enforcement authorities should “take a long and hard look” at their processes.”
If left unchecked, the public’s confidence in those tasked with upholding the law could be dented, the Harvard-trained lawyer said.
“Kailangan makita ng mga kababayan natin na may mananagot pagkatapos ng imbestigasyon, at kailangan ding magsikap ng mga law enforcement natin na ipakitang matututo sila sa pagkakamaling ito,” Nograles added.