MANILA, Philippines—Senators are seeking an investigation into the recent clash in Maguindanao that resulted in the death of 49 policemen as they condemned the “unfortunate” and “unwarranted” encounter.
“I condemn the unfortunate and unwarranted encounter between the members of our Philippine National Police and the Muslim rebels. I sympathize with the victims and their families,” Senate President Franklin Drilon said in a statement on Monday.
“We are at a crucial point in our history as a nation where we are in the process of creating and embedding peace in Mindanao, that is why we denounce to the strongest terms any act that poses a grave risk of thwarting every success we have made so far in the peace process,” he said.
But Drilon said this “unfortunate incident” should not stand in the way of efforts to bring lasting and genuine peace and development in Mindanao.
“It must all the more strengthen our desire and resolve for peace,” he said.
“I therefore call on authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation and get to the bottom of this tragedy that killed 50 of our policemen. Our nation deserves an explanation as to why dozens of our brave policemen doing their duties had to die in such a manner,” Drilon said.
Senator Grace Poe, head of the Senate committee on public order, said she would file a resolution to look into the incident.
In particular, Poe wanted to know why the members of the Philippine National Police Special Task Forces were sent to the area supposedly to serve warrants of arrest for two Malaysian members of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah.
“Expertise ba nila iyan? Kasi isipin ninyo, to train one highly skilled na operative na ganyan, ang laki ng investment ng gobyerno diyan. Tapos, marami sa kanila, bata pa yata eh. Ibig sabihin, nasanay ba talaga sila sa lugar na iyon—sa terrain na iyon?” she asked.
The incident prompted Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano to withdraw his co-sponsorship of the proposed Bangsangmoro Basic Law (BBL). He said he doubts that the Congress would still approve the BBL after the Mindanao clash.
“Para saan pa yung BBL kung ngayon pa lang na hindi pa nila kontrolado ang area, sasabihin nila pag may namatay na police ay hindi nagko-coordinate? So I’m withdrawing my co-authorship of the BBL and I seriously doubt kung mabubuhay pa itong peace agreement,” Cayetano told reporters.
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