Drilon: Purisima’s testimony on Mamasapano clash not credible

MANILA, Philipppines—Even Senate President Franklin Drilon found the testimony of resigned Philippine National Police Chief Director General Alan Purisima during the Senate hearings on the Mamasapano incident not credible.

“Well obviously I am not happy with the way General Purisima has been answering our questions,” Drilon told reporters on Wednesday when asked about his assessment on the two hearings conducted by the chamber on the incident.

“Kung sa husgado po, ay walang credibility ang kanyang mga sagot. He has not been able to persuade the senators that what he was saying was the truth,” the Senate leader said of Purisima.

The resigned PNP chief was present in both hearings conducted last Monday and Tuesday. It will resume on Thursday.

Purisima was still under preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman when he, along with sacked Special Action Force Director Getulio Napeñas and another officer, met with President Benigno Aquino III in Malacañang to discuss about the Mamasapano operation.

The meeting took place on Jan. 9, or two weeks before the bloody Mamasapano operation that left 44 SAF members killed.

Asked about Purisima’s possible liability for his alleged involvement in the operation, Drilon said: “Hindi ko alam. I wish I knew, since that is not usual, at hindi ko pa napagaaralan. Maybe the Ombudsman can answer that better.”

Sen. Grace Poe, who is leading the Senate investigation on the incident as head of the committee on public order, earlier said that some of Purisima’s testimony were unbelievable.”

Meanwhile, Drilon acknowledged that the passage of the proposed Bangsamo Basic Law (BBL) in Congress will now become more “difficult” after the Mamasapano incident.

“The effort to pass the BBL will be more difficult, it has become more complicated, but let us not let this incident on the Mamasapano stand in the way of achieving peace in Mindanao,” he said.

“The BBL is the product of the peace pact and this is our opportunity to have lasting peace in Mindanao. Kaya po sana bigyan parin natin ng kaukulang pansin ito, kahit mas mahirap na—admittedly—ang pagtulak sa BBL,” he further said.

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