MILF execs skip House hearing on Mamasapano carnage

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal. AP FILE photo

MANILA, Philippines—Leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday skipped the House of Representatives probe on the Mamasapano incident.

MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal reiterated the letter the group sent to the Senate about skipping the congressional probe, saying they will wait for the results of their own investigation.

The group also said it hopes to have an executive session instead of a public hearing on the botched operation.

“Since the MILF Special Investigation Commission is still in the process of investigation, may we request that our appearance at the hearings of the committees be made only when the internal investigation is done?” Iqbal said in the letter.

“Rest assured that we will convey to the committees immediately our availability once we have the results of the investigation,” he added.

The lower chamber wanted answers on the botched operation in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao to track down two terrorists but ended in the killing of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) in an attack by the MILF and its breakaway group the Bangsamoro Islamic Liberation Front.

Lawmakers would have wanted the MILF to answer allegations the group coddled the terrorists in their territory despite a peace deal with government.

Among those in attendance for the hearing are resigned Philippine National Police Alan Purisima, PNP officer in charge Leonardo Espina, sacked SAF commander Getulio Napeñas, Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gregorio Catapang, and Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process Teresita Deles.

In his opening speech, Basilan Representative Jim Saliman said the probe seeks to ferret out the truth in the botched operation.

“A well-known terrorist has divided our people. The aftermath of the Mamasapano clash has put (the) nation in a state of sadness,” said Saliman, who chairs the House committee on peace, unity and reconciliation

Roxas said the probe seeks to find out the truth in honor of the 44 SAF men who were killed in the incident.

“Walang duda nagpapasalamat ang sambayanan sa SAF. Walang duda ang kakayahan katapangan at kagitingan ng SAF. Nandito tayo hindi para kwestiyunin ang kadakilaan kundi para malaman ang katotohanan,” he said.

(Undoubtedly, the nation is thankful to the Special Action Force. There is no questioning SAF’s skills, bravery and valor. We are here not to question their greatness, but to know the truth.)

The supposed misencounter with MILF came at an untimely period when the lower House was set to pass the Bangsamoro basic bill, a measure  seeking to implement the peace deal with MILF that was  stalled after the MILF got involved in the attack.

The elite cops were in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao last Jan. 25 to track down Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan” and local terrorist Abdul Basit Usman., who were said to be in an MILF-controlled territory. Marwan was supposedly killed in the attack, while Usman remains at large.

The carnage was largely blamed on the lack of coordination between Napeñas and military and police authorities, who failed to send reinforcements on time. Napeñas had said that Purisima had asked him to keep Roxas and Purisima in the dark until the operation had started.

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