Fact-finding team for Quezon shootout formed

MANILA (Updated) -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) has created a fact-finding team to probe Sunday's shootout between suspected criminals and law enforcers in Atimonan, Quezon province that killed 13 people, including three policemen.

The team was formed upon the orders of PNP Chief Director General Alan Purisima to get to the bottom of the incident, according to Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo, PNP spokesman.

Cerbo said the team was also created to determine if the incident was indeed a legitimate shootout with security enforcers or if it was a rub-out.

Leading the fact-finding team is Chief Superintendent Federico Castro, deputy director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

The PNP crime laboratory, intelligence group, highway patrol group, and other national support units will assist in the probe, Cerbo said.

In a radio interview on Tuesday, PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima said the CIDG will handle the case to make the investigation "impartial."

Among the 13 suspected criminals slain were three police personnel identified as Police Superintendent Alfredo Perez Consemino from Calamba City; PO1 Jeffrey Valdez of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; and SPO1 Gruet Mantuano of Calapan City.

Purisima said the PNP will probe why the three policemen were with the suspected criminals who opened fire on army and police troopers after their vehicles were flagged down in a checkpoint.

The National Bureau of Investigation, the Commission on Human Rights, and the National Police Commission will also conduct their investigations on the incident.

Cerbo said the PNP is open to such probes and will cooperate with the government agencies. (Emmanuel Louis Bacani/Sunnex)