MILF pushes for independent probe on Mamasapano clash

MANILA, Philippines—Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said aside from their own investigation, they were pushing for an independent probe on the Mamasapano incident.

“On the part of the MILF, aside from our investigation, we push for a truly independent group that would conduct a fair and impartial investigation of the incident,” he said in his opening statement at a Senate hearing on Thursday.

Pressed further in a press briefing after the hearing, Iqbal said that some of the problems they were encountering are perception and speculation.

“We are hoping for an impartial and independent group,” he said.

Iqbal said they were willing to talk it out with government counterparts to discuss further the said independent investigation.

“If the government agrees we can sit down with our counterparts and discuss that matter,” he said.

The government also has its own Board of Inquiry to investigate what happened in the Mamasapano incident.

The government and the MILF signed a peace pact last year and is working for a Bangsamoro political entity when the Mamasapano incident happened.

Members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force were targeting two known terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Basit Usman when it figured with MILF and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

The bungled operations led to the deaths of 44 elite police officers, which is blamed with the lack of coordination with the military and the MILF.

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