Militant students blame US for Mamasapano operation

MANILA, Philippines–Amid finger-pointing in both houses of Congress, a militant student group has pinned the blamed on the United States (US) for the deadly Mamasapano, Maguindanao operation in a protest rally held at the US Embassy Thursday.

League of Filipino Students (LFS) national spokesperson Charisse Bañez alleged that the operation by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) was masterminded by the US government.

The operation led to the death of international terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir, the Malaysian terrorist bomb maker also known as Marwan.

Also killed were 44 SAF personnel who were surrounded by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) following the slay of Marwan.

“Statements from the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) top brass suggest that Aquino coordinated with the US in ensuring that the goal to capture Marwan will be accomplished,” Bañez said in a statement.

“AFP Chief Gregorio Catapang admitted that he was with Aquino on January 25, monitoring the firefight inside a US drone facility in Zamboanga where he gave commands to the SAF,” she said.

The group demanded that the full participation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) be disclosed in a public hearing instead of in an executive session in the Senate.

The FBI previously confirmed that it was Marwan who was slain through DNA tests of a severed finger taken from one of the fatalities Mamasapano.

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