LAWMAKERS crossed party lines Tuesday in asking the leadership of the House of Representatives to resume the congressional probe into the Mamasapano debacle in which 44 police commandos were killed.
on Jan. 25 met with Reps. Ronaldo Zamora (standing fifth from right) and House
Minority Bloc leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (right) on Tuesday to ask them
to continue the hearing on the Mamasapano incident. Ver Noveno
At a press conference, 94 members of the House joined the widows and loved ones of the 44 police commandos to express their dismay with President Aquino III and his administration’s handling of the controversy, and insisting that the President lied through his teeth when he said sacked Special Action Force commander Getulio Napeñas had fooled him.
The lawmakers, led by the leader of the independent minority bloc, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and House Minority Leader and San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, said the House needed to resume its investigation into the Mamasapano bloodbath to ferret out the truth.
“We need to know the truth and we are united in calling for the reopening of the investigation to achieve justice,” Romualdez told reporters after the widows and families of the SAF 44 met with Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to voice their concerns.
“We can’t talk about BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law) without determining the truth behind Mamasapano incident. The widows and loved ones of Fallen 44 are here, they come on their own with one message which is to continue with the hearings,” Zamora said.
At least 94 lawmakers from various political groups, including Romualdez, signed the resolution authored by the Makabayan bloc, calling on Belmonte to resume the House investigation.
Dolly Cordero, sister of PO3 Roger Cordero of General Santos City, one of the Fallen 44, pressed members of the House to resume their probe.
“The SAF 44 were already killed and butchered, now they (Aquino government) started to kill the case,” Cordero said.
The widows of the SAF 44 were one in saying that President Aquino III was lying again when he said Napeñas fooled him about the operational lapses that led to the death of the 44 policemen.
Earlier, the President said he “felt betrayed and lied to” by then-suspended Philippine National Police chief director general Alan Purisima.
The widows said the President should tell the truth behind Mamasapano, noting that the buck shoul stop at Malacañang.
“No (we don’t believe) in what the President was saying. His story keeps changing. We don’t believe him. Now he’s blaming Napeñas. Wasn’t Purisima involved? My son texted me and said he could not come home because of orders from high up,” said Telly Sumbilla, mother of PO3 John Loyd Sumbilla from Samar.
“President Aquino cannot say he didn’t know,” Cordro added.
The mother of PO3 Nicky Nacino of Isabela, Feliias Nacino, said: “President Aquino should tell the whole truth. We need to hear the whole truth.”
Suzette Tucay, fiancé of Police Chief Inspector Gary Erana from Pagadian City, said they were unhappy with the Senate investigation because so much of it was held behind closed doors.
“We were left hanging,” she said.
The Palace on Tuesday denied it was involved in a whitewash and said the President had no intention of preempting the police board of inquiry or exonerating Purisima.
“There is no cover-up. There is no whitewash or ‘yellow-wash,’” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma.
“Our intent on this is for our people to know the truth,” he added.
Coloma said that the statement of Aquino during a prayer meeting at the Palace Monday was just “a general overview” of what happened during the Mamasapano mission.
He also said Aquino had no intention to blame Napeñas but was merely “narrating all the relevnat facts” in the Mamasapano incident.
“The statement of the President is part of a general explanation. We can say in here, it is not his intention to blame anyone,” Coloma said.
He added that the President offered his personal opinion, which would not affect the findings of the police board of inquiry.
But he also said the board and the Senate could use the President’s remarks as “inputs” for their final reports on the Mamasapano incident.
On Monday, Mr. Aquino defended his decisions and blamed Napeñas for the Mamasapano debacle.
“If only I knew that that was his plan, I would have disapproved it,” Aquino said, referring to Napeñas.
“What should have been a successful mission became mission impossible,” Aquino added, blaming Napenas for fooling him about the status of Operation Exodus, which aimed to capture or kill wanted terrorists hiding in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25.
Also on Monday the PNP inquiry board deferred submission of tis report on the tragedy to PNP officer-in-charge deputy director Leonardo Espina.
This was the third time that the submission of the report was delayed, triggering widespread fears of a whitewash.
Aquino also insisted on Monday that he did nothing wrong during the planning and implementation of the covert operation that resulted in the death of 60 people, including the 44 police commandos.
“If I were the one at fault, why wouldn’t I take responsibility?” Aquino asked.