MANILA, Philippines – The special team created by the Department of Justice (DOJ) will also look into the involvement of the US in the Mamasapano incident where 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) were killed.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said in probing into all the aspects surrounding the incident, it would be “inevitable” for the special team not to look at the reported participation of US soldiers.
The 44 SAF commandos were killed in an operation to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan and Filipino bomb maker Abdulbasit Usman.
“Definitely, that (US involvement) would be unavoidable to look into… There are several aspects – including that alleged involvement of the US and the extent and scope of involvement as reported in some news items,” she said.
Under the Visiting Forces Agreement, US troops are prohibited from joining local combat operations on the ground.
However, de Lima said the issue is not a priority.
She said their focus is determining the criminal liabilities and identifying who should be criminally charged.
“We do not see it as a priority in determining the culpability of people that ought to be held criminally accountable. But it really depends, if it has any bearing on the criminal aspect of the matter,” she said.
“Our focus really is on the incident, particularly who could be criminally charged,” she added.
In a Senate inquiry last week, relieved SAF chief Director Getulio Napeñas admitted seeking the help of American forces in the encounter but supposedly for recovery of injured SAF operatives.
After the incident, US soldiers participating in joint exercises in Mindanao were seen in media reports assisting local police and military at the clash site.