2 investigating bodies to inspect site of clash

MANILA, Philippines—A special panel created by the Department of Justice and an independent Philippine National Police board of inquiry (PNP-BOI), both tasked to investigate the bloody Jan. 25 clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, will conduct separate on-site inspections next week as they work double time to determine who should be held criminally liable for the deaths of the elite police commandos and innocent civilians caught in the encounter.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday, said she has directed the joint panel, composed of National Bureau of Investigation agents and state prosecutors, to spare their weekend in preparation for the planned ocular inspection at the cornfield where 44 commandos from the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) were killed nearly three weeks ago.

She said the panel has already begun evaluating documents received from the PNP-BOI, an independent body tasked to investigate the incident.

The justice chief said the NBI has already traced the upload location of the video showing a SAF commando being brutally finished off by a gunman.

“The NBI is already working on that video, and they were able to trace where it was uploaded. Now the faces, they are working on identifying them. But since the investigation is ongoing, we cannot disclose the details,” she said.

De Lima said the planned site visit would serve to validate sworn statements of SAF survivors, including what happened in the hut where Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, was killed and circumstances after, such as the location of blocking forces as the commandos were reportedly on their way out of the target location.

De Lima also made reference to the testimony of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujiv Hataman during Thursday’s Senate hearing, where he detailed the assault on Marwan’s hut.