SOME survivors of the Mamasapano incident have grown weary talking about the secret police operation that resulted in the death of 67 people and have refused to speak with the Commission on Human Rights about the matter, an official said on Monday.
CHR spokesperson Marc Titus Cebreros said they sent a team of investigators to speak with PO3 Robert Lalan and other police commandos who survived the massacre, but they appeared “irritable” and instead asked them to speak with the Philippine National Police’s board of inquiry.
“That’s understandable because of their physical condition. They were still suffering from severe pains. They did not want to issue separate statement anymore,” Cebreros said, adding that the probers attempted the interview last February 27.
Despite their refusal, however, Cebreros said the CHR team is still determined to interview the SAF survivors.
“If they can grant media interviews, why can they not grant us, too? We need their direct statements, and not just statements based on the report of the board of inquiry,” he said.
On Wednesday, the CHR investigators will visit Lalan and the other SAF survivors at Camp Crame in Quezon City and Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan in Taguig City, Cebreros said.
“There is nothing to be afraid of. There are just some clarificatory questions that need to be answered,” he said. “We are optimistic Lalan and the rest could now give their own statements to us, hoping they are now physically okay.”
On Jan. 25, SAF troopers went to Tukanalipao, Mamasapano in Maguindanao to serve the arrest warrants on Zulkipli bin Hir alias Marwan and Basit Usman.
At least 44 of them were killed in an encounter with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
Chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales created the CHR’s own investigating team composed of herself as the head, Homero Matthew Rusiana, Cebreros, Twyla Rubin Cecilia Jimenez-Damary with support from the ARMM-CHR office, led by Hawtay-Jovero.
Lalan, a trained sniper, survived the Mamasapano clash on the ground, and was believed to kill four MILF members.
“We will talk to Lalan not as a suspect, but as a resource person,” Cebreros stressed, adding that Lalan could help shed light on the issue of human rights violations committed on the slain 44 commandos.
“CHR will submit its probe on April 25,” he noted.