Palace asks Ombudsman to ‘resolve with dispatch’ SAF 44 case

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Friday urged the Ombudsman to “resolve with dispatch” the charges filed against those responsible for the ill-fated Mamasapano operation that killed 44 Special Action Force commandos of the Philippine National Police in 2015.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo issued this call as he assured the public the Duterte government would not let “such tragic event” happen again.

“Today, January 25, a grieving nation remembers the tragedy that befell the PNP officers in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. We pay homage to the bravery and heroism of the 44 uniformed personnel of the Special Action Force known as the Fallen SAF 44,” Panelo said in a statement.

He said the slain troopers have “offered and gave their lives for the country and the people.”

“Even as we continue to pray for the eternal repose of the souls of these gallant heroes, who were recipients posthumously of the PNP Medal of Valor (Medalya ng Kagitingan), and as we share in the grief of their bereaved families, we urge the Office of the Ombudsman to resolve with dispatch the case filed against those who recklessly placed them in mortal peril,” he said.

“The nation demands justice for them as well as the prosecution of those responsible for the botched police operation,” he added.

The 44 SAF members were killed in an unfortunate encounter on January 25, 2015 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao as they launched an operation to arrest Malaysian bomb maker Zufkili Abdhir, alias “Marwan,” and Abdul Basit Usman.

“Never again will we allow a recurrence of such tragic event. Those in authority must learn from the mistakes of the past otherwise those valorous men in uniform would have died in vain,” Panelo said. /kga