Poe defers Mamasapano carnage probe on PNP request

A member of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force scribbles a message for the 44 commandos killed in a clash with Muslim rebels during its final wake Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. AP PHOTO/Bullit Marquez

MANILA, Philippines – A joint panel of the Senate, which is set to investigate the bloody encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, granted on Monday a request to move its first hearing scheduled for Wednesday to next week.

An email  from the office of Senator Grace Poe, chairman  of the Senate committee on public order, said the hearing  by her panel (the committee on peace, unification and  reconciliation) will  be held on February 9 and  10.

Attached to the email was a copy of a letter of Police Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina to Poe, requesting the resetting of the scheduled hearing this week.

“We understand the objective of this public hearing is to ferret out the truth. We are one with the Senate in this that is why we wanted to tell the story ourselves,”   Espina, officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police, said.

“However, this whole week, we have committed to the families of the 44 fallen SAF (Special Action Force) troopers that we will be there to assist them in all their needs. In particular, PCSUPT Noli G. Taliño will be going around the country to personally attend the wakes and burials of the 44 fallen SAF troopers. I, myself, will be going around to ensure that the assistance needed are being rendered.”

“Prompted by the above, we respectfully request for the resetting of the joint public hearing to next week. Hoping for your understanding and consideration and please be assured of our cooperation once we have settled our commitments to the bereaved families,” Espina  added.

Poe, and three other senators — Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Teofisto Guingona III,  and Miriam Defensor-Santiago— initiated  the investigation  on the  Mamasapano incident  where  44 members of the PNP-SAF  were ambushed and killed by suspected Moro rebels when they went to the area  to serve  the warrants of arrest on two  suspected terrorists.