JV Ejercito tells AFP, PNP, SAF heads: Apologize, stop finger-pointing

Sen. JV Ejercito. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of exchanging accusations in public, top officials of the police, military and the Special Action Force (SAF) should apologize for the Mamasapano incident, Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said on Thursday.

Ejercito, an opposition member, particularly directed his call to Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gregorio Pio Catapang, and sacked SAF Director Getulio Napeñas.

“If I may suggest to the top brass of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Special Action Forces headed by Generals Espina, Catapang and Napeñas respectively, please refrain from rubbing salt into the wounded hearts of the families of 44 SAF killed in Mamasapano, as well as with the 14 wounded police now recovering at the PNP hospital,” the senator said in a statement.

“Instead of explaining things right now, APOLOGIES for what happened in Mamasapano are the best things to do,” he said.

Any conflicting words of explanation relayed to media, Ejercito said, would only create confusion, not only in the hearts and minds of the SAF personnel and relatives, but to the general public as well.

“Discussing problems in coordination, failure of communications, and lack of intelligence are not only the issues here. In fact, the people’s sentiment with this finger pointing is that all of our generals are trying to hide something,” he said.

“As we are still in a state of grief, what we should do is to provide comfort, care, and prayers not only for the bereaved relatives of 44 SAF members, and not only for the entire PNP personnel languishing in pain right now, but also to the Filipino people who are now at loss and looking for answers to never-ending questions encompassing the Mamasapano carnage.”

“After laying the entire 44 personnel to their final destination, the entire nation would be eager to listen to these explanations. Somebody must answer for this unfortunate event! And we hope that somebody would provide an apology from the very start!” Ejercito added.

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