Authorities are still investigating the cause of the misencounter between the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, according to officials at two offices in a press conference, Thursday afternoon.
They explained that the investigation is just beginning to determine if anything has been set up for them or if there has been a lack of coordination.
According to the Philippine National Police, they are already holding evidence that will determine how the anti-drug operations of the PDEA and QCPD ended in a fight at a fast-food restaurant near a mall in Barangay Old Balara.
But they have not elaborated on some of the incidents as they are still awaiting investigation.
“We will not preempt sa findings. Ini-interview at kinakausap pa ang dalawang team na involved,” said PNP chief Debold Sinas.
Four have died in the operation. The two agencies asserted that their operations were legitimate and had good coordination.
With the evidence in hand, such as operatives’ cell phones, surveillance, and coordination documents, CCTV videos, and witnesses, authorities will determine if they have been set up by the syndicate or have a coordination error.
Cause of Commonwealth ‘misencounter’ not yet determined by PDEA, PNP
The previous spot report made by QCPD-Station 6 in which all PDEA agents appear to be suspects and the evidence is purely weapons and does not state where the drug is, and the alleged amount of money to buy it has also been ignored.
“May aliases lang, ‘yung target namin eh hindi naman talaga ‘yun. Magkaiba targets namin tapos kami ang nagbakbakan. What we are trying to find out, sino ang buy-bust and sino ang not doing the buy-bust because we do not have the evidence. Pagbigyan niyo kami ng oras, i-forensic namin lahat,” said PDEA Director Wilkins Villanueva.
Villanueva, on the other hand, insisted that there was no “sell-bust” – or pretending to sell drugs to target people who were buying illegal drugs, which was illegal.
“Hindi legal ‘yan. Legal lang sa anti-drug operations ay buy-bust, illegal ang sell-bust,” said Villanueva.