Philippine National Police’s Director General Alan Purisima, when asked by reporters whether the shooting that occurred in Atimonan, Quezon, was a rubout or shootout, replied: “What rubout? The leader of the PNP team was injured and critically wounded in that incident. They (the casualties) were the ones who fired at the policemen and soldiers manning the checkpoint!”
Apparently, for the good director general, when an encounter between bad elements and policemen happens and a policeman is injured critically, there’s no way the incident could be a summary execution.
Director General, sir, isn’t it possible that the bad guys simply retaliated after being shot at?
One other thing, the PNP chief showed his bias when he immediately ruled out a “rubout” even as the incident, he said, was still under investigation.
—NICK C. ALINO,
ncalino@yahoo.com.ph