VICE President Jejomar Binay urged President Benigno Aquino III Wednesday to convene the National Security Council to analyze the peace and order situation of the country, especially in Mindanao, in the aftermath of the Mamasapano massacre.
“Let us continue the quest for peace, but we must also remember that when we aim for peace, there should be justice. The President should convene the National Security Council in light of what is happening,” Binay said.
Binay issued the appeal during a ceremony at the Makati City Hall honoring the 44 members of the Special Action Force killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, in an encounter with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Jan. 25.
Binay said the President is the one who has the authority to convene the council, which is tasked to advise the Chief Executive regarding the integration of domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to national security.
The council is composed of the President, the vice president; the Armed Forces chief of staff; the NSC director; the executive secretary; and the secretaries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Interior and Local Government, Justice, and Labor and Employment.
Barely a month after the ill-fated police raid in Mamasapano, the MILF and BIFF engaged in fighting that forced more than 15,000 residents to flee their homes in North Cotabato and Maguindanao.
“We must have an honest-to-goodness [assessment] of our peace and order situation. We have so many encounters. Before we can come up with the answer, we must know the problem,” Binay said.
Binay also said he is hoping that President Aquino can overcome the difficulties surrounding the Mamasapano incident, which is the subject of several investigations.
“We need to be prepared. We have to discuss not only what’s happening now but how to be ready for the future. We need to invite persons who possess knowledge and experience on matters pertaining to national security,” he said.
“The NSC meeting will provide our security forces the framework to act, keeping in mind that our ultimate goal is to ensure stability and pursue peace in Mindanao,” Binay said in statement.
The Vice President said that in view of the escalating conflicts in Mindanao, it is important to be prepared for any eventuality.
Binay’s call came on the heels of reports that the MILF is preparing for war in anticipation of the scrapping of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, a lynchpin in its peace agreement with the government.
A message, purportedly from the MILF Central Committee, said MILF commanders were ordered to be ready for the attacks.
The MILF’s warning on the possibility of an all-out war against government forces came after some senators and members of the House of Representatives turned their backs against the passing of the BBL following the Mamasapano incident.
In the message, the MILF cited its own sources that the PNP-SAF and the AFP, to be led by Marines, Scout Rangers and Special Weapons and Tactics units and even the National Bureau of Investigation are preparing to enter areas controlled by the MILF and its splinter group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
The independent minority bloc in the House said President Aquino must own up to his responsibility for the Mamasapano operation before the country can have closure and move on.
“The buck should stop at the President’s table,” said Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez in a news conference.
“The President as commander-in-chief is ultimately responsible. Instead of having officials falling over each other to protect him, saying he doesn’t know about it, he should just accept responsibility,” Romualdez said.
Romualdez also slammed the administration for being quick to grab credit when things go well, but eager to ascribe blame to others when they do not.
He also twitted the President, who is known to be fond of video games.
“This is not a video game that you can reset,” Romualdez said. “He should accept responsibility. The people will understand.”
At the same time, Romualdez and Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said there was nothing wrong in the government seeking US help in the Mamasapano operation.
“We see nothing wrong with US helping [our] police, briefing our military [on what to do], giving them night goggles… This should not be covered up,” Atienza said.
Romuadez said it would be “the height of stupidity” not to ask for help.
Five former military and police officials turned legislators on Wednesday also urged President Aquino to take full responsibility and seek justice for the SAF 44.
In a joint statement, Reps. Francisco Ashley Acedillo and Gary Alejano of Magdalo party-list; Romeo Acop of Antipolo City, Samuel Pagdilao of ACT-CIS party-list and Leopoldo Bataoil of Pangasinan, also demanded that the government arrest terrorists and MILF commanders who were responsible for the Jan. 25 incident.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, an administration ally, rejected calls for the President to step down for his mishandling of the Mamasapano operation.
Davide added that calls for a caretaker government, supported by the Church-backed National Transformation Council, would only provoke a constitutional crisis. – With Maricel V. Cruz and Junex Doronio