THE seven members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) are now facing criminal complaint following a shootout with two robbers in Barangay Sum-ag on August 10.
Personnel of Bacolod Police Station 9 stood as the complainant.
The incident killed the two suspects and a pedicab driver who was caught in the crossfire. It also injured three civilians, including the teenage daughter of Isabela Mayor Joselito Malabor.
Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, acting BCPO director, said charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide were filed against the seven policemen on Friday last week.
The Swat team was pursuing the fleeing suspects, who just robbed the panel van of a cigarette firm in neighboring Bago City.
The robbers were pinned down in front of Sum-ag National High School.
They allegedly fired first against the authorities, who fired back.
The Swat team was not relieved from their posts, though, they were restricted to do patrol operations.
The team is also under investigation by the National Police Commission in Western Visayas (Napolcom)-Western Visayas and Regional Internal Affairs Service–Western Visayas.
Napolcom-Western Visayas director Joseph Celis said the incident is a serious offense because there was an excessive force which resulted in the death of a civilian and injuries of three others.
He added they will not allow incompetence in the society.
This begs the question, does the end justify the means? Human lives were lost.