Poe: Senate report on Mamasapano incident won’t spare Office of the President

Senator Grace Poe. PRIB PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Office of the President will not be spared in the Senate findings on its investigation on the Mamasapano incident, Senator Grace Poe said on Friday.

Poe, who led the Senate probe on the incident as head of the committee on public order, said the report may be released on the week of the 16th.

The report has to be reported out on the floor for either adoption or rejection by the chamber.

“Lahat ng may kinalaman na nabanggit na liderato ay siyempre kailangang meron kaming tugon ukol sa kanilang partisipasyon at kung ano ang mga naging kakulangan dito,” Poe said in an interview.

(We will have to touch on the involvement of these leaders and their shortcomings in the operation.)

“Hanggang sa lahat ng level po na may kinalaman dito sa operasyon na ito ay malalagay sa aming committee report, kung ano ang naging pagkukulang o kung ano ang tamang nagawa,” she said.

(We will include in our committee report all those involved in the operation—their shortcomings and their good work–no matter what level they belong to.)

Asked if the Office of the President would be included in the report, the senator said: “Siyempre kasama na doon (Of course it is included).”

Poe stressed that all those involved in the Mamasapano operation that left 44 elite policemen of the Special Action Force would be mentioned in the report.

“Sapagkat, kung hindi babanggitin, walang maniniwala sa report (If we won’t include it, no one will believe the report),” she said.

The senator dismissed any speculations that the findings would be watered down since majority of senators are allied with President Benigno Aquino III.

“Basta, ganito lang iyon. Kami naman, may kanya-kanyang pananagutan at reputasyon sa ating mga kababayan. Kaya, kung ito ay hindi magagawa ng tama, pangalan rin naman namin ang nakasalalay dito,” she said.

(This is the case. We all have a responsibility and reputation to protect before our constituents. If this is not done right, our names will be compromised.)

“So para sa akin, report ko ito, eh. Report ng committee ko ito. Kaya, sa tingin ko naman, hindi ako papayag na malabnaw ito sapagkat magiging pananagutan ko ito sa publiko.”

(For me, this is my report; this is my committee’s report. So I don’t think I will let this to be watered down because I am accountable to the public.)

“Pasensya na po sa mga matatamaan, pero trabaho rin ang ginagawa namin. Kung mayroong mga nagkamali sa trabaho nila, ilalagay namin na pagkakamali dito at hindi sinasadya, pero mali pa rin,” she further said.

(I am sorry to those whose names may be dragged here; it’s nothing personal. If they did not do their jobs right, we will put their names in the report even if they claim that they didn’t mean to commit those blunders.)

Poe said her committee may also recommend the filing of appropriate cases against those who would be found liable for the botched police operation.

She pointed out that her committee had recommended before the filing of charges against resigned Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Alan Purisima over another issue.

Purisima is again being blamed for allegedly ordering the Mamasapano operation even after he was ordered suspended by the Ombudsman over an allegedly anomalous courier contract in the PNP.

Poe said the report will also contain the stories of survivors, which they narrated in an exclusive session with senators.

It will also tackle the reported involvement of the United States in the botched police operation, Poe said.

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