Belmonte says Aquino won’t be spared from Mamasapano probe
MANILA, Philippines–Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Monday assured that the House of Representatives will not conduct a “rubber stamp” inquiry that would spare President Benigno Aquino III from his supposed accountability in the botched Mamasapano operation that killed 44 elite cops.
Belmonte also said he is not “stage managing” the public order and safety committee to spare the President, who was accused of giving the go-signal and authorizing suspended police chief Alan Purisima to run the covert operation without the knowledge of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and military officials.
“Let it be clear that at this stage of the game, I, as Speaker, have no intention of stage managing anything. It is up to the committees to do their job. I don’t think the committee will be a rubber stamp to anybody, much less to the President,” Belmonte said in an interview.
He said the panel will invite resource speakers who might have knowledge on the incident.
“It’s better to have peace than a reprise of a thirty-year war going on. We have to ensure that what we are doing is doable and constitutional,” Belmonte said.
Among those invited as resource speakers for next week’s inquiry 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.
Newspaper reports came out that Aquino authorized suspended police chief Purisima to run the operation to arrest two international terrorists and bomb-making experts who were said to be in an MILF area in Mamasapano town.
The report said Aquino authorized Purisima to run the “covert operation” because he has the intelligence on Malaysian terrorist Zulkipli bin Hir alias Marwan and Filipino Basit Usman, both bomb experts linked to Jemaah Islamiya.
The operation was said to be carried out without the knowledge of Roxas and Espina, reports said. The elite cops were said to be reporting to Purisima.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that Purisima kept the operation secret from Roxas because of an animosity between the two trusted friends of Aquino. The Inquirer source said Purisima kept the operation secret to keep the accolade to himself if it becomes successful.
In a televised speech, Aquino admitted knowing about the SAF mission but said Purisima called the shots in the operation only until his suspension over an allegedly irregular courier deal.
The Mamasapano incident happened on January 25 when the police Special Action Force (SAF) went to an MILF area to arrest 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.
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