Sister of slain SAF officer urges Aquino to resign if he cannot stand by his men
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III should consider stepping down from office if he cannot protect and support his own people, said the family of a police officer who was among the 44 members of the elite Special Action Force killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, on January 25.
“He should step down if he cannot protect his soldiers and policemen or if he can’t stand by them,” Ray-Anne Pabalinas, one of the sisters of Senior Insp. Ryan Pabalinas, said.
Ray-Anne said the family could not find any trace of sincerity in the President anymore and that they wished for his resignation.
Pabalinas, the operations officer of the 55th Special Action Company, was among the seven SAF officers that led the striking force but were killed together with 37 SAF troops in Mamasapano by Moro rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
Senior Insp. Flint Depnag, deputy commander of the 5th SAF Battalion, said other officers killed were Insp. John Gary Erana, Senior Insp. Max Jim Tria, Senior Insp. Cyrus Anniban, Senior Insp. Rennie Tayrus, Insp. Joey Gamutan and Senior Insp. Gednat Tabdi.
Ray-Anne, a nurse by profession, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that her family in General Santos City and her brother’s wife Erika here were still trying to put some sense to the deaths of the 44 SAF members.
“We can accept that they died in the line of service but we cannot discern why they had to be mutilated. It was an overkill and nobody’s coming forward to explain (why did it happen),” she said.
Ray-Anne said her brother’s body bore hack wounds aside from the bullet wounds.
It was also apparent that his body was retrieved long after the clash took place.
Erika said they wanted to find out too why her husband and his colleagues were left alone to fight the battle.
“We demand justice and accountability,” she said.
Erika was visibly full of emotions as she was talking to the Inquirer and would break at some point in the conversation.
“The pain is here (pointing to her heart) and it will stay there forever. The anger may ease up if there’s justice,” Ray-Anne said.
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