Philippines: 2 dead, 4 injured in police, anti-drug agents shootout

Manila, Feb 25 (IANS) Two police officers were killed and four others injured during a shootout between the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents outside a mall in the capital Manila on Wednesday night, police said.

Police Major General Vicente Danao, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, said the injured include a police officer and three PDEA agents, the Xinhua news reported.

PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon told a television interview that the drug agents were conducting a buy-bust operation at the mall in the Quezon City suburb when the shootout broke out.

The mall management confirmed that the shootout took place past 6 p.m. local time. "We have secured all access to the mall, so all shoppers are safe inside," the mall said in a statement.

The police said that a joint board of inquiry composed of personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the PDEA will be established following the shootout.

"In the interest of determining the truth behind the incident, a joint PNP-PDEA Board of Inquiry will be formed to determine what transpired and who should be held liable," the PNP said in a statement.