Makabayan solons seek establishment of ‘Mamasapano Truth Commission’

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives filed a proposed law seeking the establishment of a “truth commission” which will probe the Mamasapano incident last Jan. 25.

Under House Bill (HB) 5462, the authors stressed that the truth body aims to “thoroughly investigate, report and evaluate all facts and circumstances related to the January 25, 2015 incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.”

The principal authors of HB 5462 are ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio L. Tinio, Anakpawis Party-list Rep. Fernando L. Hicap, Bayan  Muna Reps. Neri J. Colmenares and Carlos Isagani T. Zarate, Gabriela Party-list Reps. Luzviminda C. Ilagan and Emmi A. De Jesus and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Terry L. Ridon.

The proposed legislation provided the powers, functions, and structure of the truth commission. It will be led by a chairperson and two commissioners duly appointed by President Benigno Aquino III.

The lawmakers want the chairman to be a Filipino lawyer who practiced law for the past 10 years and with “unquestionable integrity, probity and patriotism and of recognized competence in his/her profession.”

Amid the hearings conducted by Congress and the investigations led by the Board of Inquiry under the Philippine National Police, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Department of Justice and Armed Forces of the Philippines on the bungled operation in Mamasapano, the militant solons emphasized the need for the establishment of the “truth commission.”

“An independent and impartial Commission that will ferret out all facts and consider all angles and seek the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is necessary,” they maintained.

Earlier on Wednesday, February 25, 2015, Senators Teofisto Guingona III and Aquilino Pimentel III approved on committee level Senate Bill 2603, which seeks the establishment of a “Mamasapano truth commission.”