By Matthew Roscoe • Published: 25 Feb 2021 • 8:03 • <1 minute read
CREDIT: Twitter
At Least Two Dead as Philippine Police and Philippine Drug Agency Shoot at Each Other.
A BUNGLED “buy-bust operation” by Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has led to at least two policemen being shot dead.
The two law enforcement agencies engaged in a firefight near the Ever Gotesco shopping centre in Quezon City on Wednesday, February 24 as they attempted to execute orders from President Rodrigo Duterte, who is launching a radical clampdown on illegal drugs.
The incident marks the first shootout between the PNP and PDEA, which according to reports, happened during a drugs bust at around 5.45pm in the car park of a McDonald’s belonging to a popular shopping centre.
“During the buy-bust operation, the PNP personnel involved [engaged] without their knowledge [that] the people they were transacting [with] are PDEA agents,” the report said.
The PNP claimed that the PDEA agents were the first to fire, as reported by Rappler. According to the news outlet, PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon declined to comment on the allegation, saying that they will leave the facts to be determined by a joint PNP-PDEA probe – which will be led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group – its unit reserved for high-profile investigations.
The shootout left 3 policemen, two PDEA agents, and one civilian identified as a companion of the PDEA agent injured, according to reports.
In an interview on DZBB, Metro Manila police chief Major General Vicente Danao Jr said two policemen died and one was “badly injured.” He was unsure about the PDEA’s casualty count.
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Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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