Espina to MILF: Be sincere in peace deal

Deputy Director Gen. Leonardo Espina. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE/INQUIRER PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The officer in charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to be sincere in implementing the peace deal with the government to ensure the passage of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“We are your peacekeepers. We are for peace. Sana sa implementation from the other party, maging sincere naman po,” Deputy Director Gen. Leonardo Espina said during the hearing of the Bangsamoro ad hoc committee in the House of Representatives.

Espina assured the House committee that the PNP was willing to share its report on the Mamasapano encounter with armed Moro groups that killed 44 elite cops, which the government has downplayed as a “misencounter.”

He apologized for failing to submit the PNP report yet and said the police organization was working hard to get justice for its slain men.

“It’s a crisis for the PNP. But we are your policemen. We cannot stop working,” Espina said.

“Sobra na ‘ata itong overkill eh. ‘Yun ang hinanakit ko talaga. There was no intention to let anybody live,” he added.

Espina said he also received information that the MILF even sold the SAF artillery for millions of pesos.

“Pakiusap ko sa MILF, isoli niyo gamit namin. That’s not yours. Pinatay niyo na lahat ng mga tao namin. Huwag niyo na dagdagan,” an enraged Espina said.

He also downplayed reports President Aquino gave the go-signal in the botched operation.

“Kung lahat ng pangulo magbibigay ng go signal, I don’t think that’s proper,” Espina said.

The House panel criticized the PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for failure to submit satisfactory incident reports on Monday night.

The ad hoc committee is gathering the incident reports to help the lawmakers decide whether to continue with deliberations on the BBL, the passage of which was rocked by the involvement of a main party, the MILF, in the Mamasapano encounter.

The AFP submitted a report on Tuesday but Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the Bangsamoro ad hoc committee, found the report lacking.

AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang apologized when he faced the committee on Tuesday and said the military report on the clash was underway.

Rodriguez warned the agencies to comply with the body’s request for documents, otherwise the body would have to stall the passage of the BBL.

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