Belmonte: House to put off Mamasapano inquiry, wait for PNP findings

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LEO M. SABANGAN II

MANILA, Philippines–Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Monday said the House of Representatives will have to put off any inquiry into the “misencounter” between state commandos and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, that killed 44 elite cops.

The Speaker said the lower chamber will have to wait on the results of the investigation being led by the Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry.

He said the results of the probe may be used in the congressional inquiry.

“Patatapusin muna namin yung kanila. Whatever it is, let them finish that because part of the work is in the field and so forth. Let them finish it and when they have finished, we cannot preclude any body in Congress wanting to look at it further,” Belmonte said in a statement.

He said Congress is better off to leave the matter in the hands of experts on the ground.

“I would like to leave that (immediate probe) to the professionals, to the people who are actually investigating it. They are more aware of the situation on the ground. It’s very easy to say do this, do that, but I want to leave that to them. We can make a discussion, a proper discussion on the basis of their own findings,” the Speaker said.

The House leader made the statement just as the lower chamber is conducting closed-door meetings on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, the passage of which was on the rocks due to the MILF’s involvement in the attack.

The House public order and safety committee, headed by Negros Occidental Representative Jeffrey Ferrer, set a hearing on Tuesday afternoon pursuant to three resolutions urging the panel to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the botched operation.

Belmonte clarified that tomorrow’s hearing will only be a meeting ahead of the inquiry that will be held next Tuesday, February 10.

“There will be a hearing tomorrow, but it will not be an investigation. It will only be a meeting perhaps to lay down the plans for the actual investigation next week,” the Speaker said.

The resolutions seeking an inquiry were filed by Representatives Romeo Acop (Antipolo 2nd district), Leopoldo Bataoil (Pangasinan 2nd district), Samuel Pagdilao Jr. (ACT CIS partylist), Francisco Acedillo and Gary Alejano (Magdalo), Toby Tiangco (Navotas lone district), and Jonathan dela Cruz (Abakada).

Among those invited as resource speakers are Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles, Armed Forces chief of staff  Lieutenant General Pio Catapang, Philippine National Police officer in charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, and sacked Special Action Force commander Getulio Napeñas.

Napeñas has admitted accountability in the botched operation, admitting that the police did not inform the Philippine Army and even Roxas of the operation.

Continue with probe

Militant Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares objected to Belmonte’s statement, saying the chamber should push through with its inquiry scheduled on Tuesday before the House public order and safety committee.

Colmenares also questioned the credibility of the Board of Inquiry because it is composed of Philippine National Police generals, who are expected to overlook the involvement of President Benigno Aquino III.

According to news reports, Aquino authorized suspended police chief Alan Purisima to call the shots in the covert operation. In a televised speech, Aquino said Purisima handled the operation only until his suspension over an allegedly irregular courier deal.

“The (Board) will never hold Aquino accountable after that speech which practically pre-empted the board’s decision. If Congress wants to give justice to the SAF families we must hold accountable those that sent the SAF men to their deaths,” Colmenares said.

Eroded trust

Belmonte said the MILF attack somehow eroded lawmakers’ trust on the Bangsamoro bill, but he assured that the chamber still supports the passage of the bill that seeks to implement the peace deal between the government and MILF.

The attack happened on January 25 when the police Special Action Force (SAF) went to an MILF area to serve arrest warrants on bomb experts linked to international terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah. They were fired at by members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and armed elements of the MILF 105th Base Command.

Authorities had downplayed the attack by the MILF as a misencounter and a result of lack of coordination. MILF lead peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal meanwhile said the attack by the MILF was only an act of self-defense as the police commandos arrived without warning in the MILF territory.

The Philippine Army reportedly failed to send reinforcement during the attack as it was supposedly kept in the dark about the covert operation.

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