PNP probers seek 72-hour extension for Mamasapano report

MANILA, Philippines–Three days more, please.

Questions over alleged involvement of US forces in the botched police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, will be answered once the body formed by the Philippine National Police to look into the Jan. 25 incident has finished its report.

But the PNP board of inquiry on Monday sought a 72-hour extension of its deadline for the submission of its report on its investigation into the Mamasapano clash that left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos, 18 Moro rebels and five civilians dead.

Director Benjamin Magalong, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief and head of the board of inquiry, said the three-member body failed to beat its self-imposed deadline to present the report for the second time as it was still finalizing the contents.

He said he spoke with the PNP officer in charge, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, to ask for more time in completing the report.

“For the past several days, we have been working on the report, analyzing the pieces of evidence presented to us. There were just too many. The task was really enormous,” Magalong told a press briefing at Camp Crame.

“It was really difficult to finish the report within the deadline. But we cannot sacrifice the quality of our report and our investigation,” he said.

Senate investigators who inquired into the Mamasapano clash said the delay fueled public suspicion that the report was being “sanitized.”

But Sen. Grace Poe, head of the public order committee, said she was giving the PNP the “benefit of the doubt.”

‘Very substantive’

While he refused to discuss even portions of its contents, the CIDG chief said the report would be “very substantive” and that it would identify the people who should be held liable for the deaths of the SAF commandos.

“We will discuss the issue of US involvement in the operation… But we [want] to make sure that we will have conclusions that are based on facts and heavily supported by evidence,” he said.

“One of our major objectives is to find out who committed errors and who should be held responsible for their actions,” he said.

Magalong attributed the delay to several limitations and the sheer volume of documents the board members had to review, which also caused the board’s operational audit team to conclude its own report and recommendations belatedly.

The five-member audit team, composed of seasoned police investigators, submitted its own report on the Mamasapano incident to Magalong on Friday, or seven days after its original deadline.

Just three days

“We are just asking for three days and we know there will be a lot of speculations and insinuations with this [request for] extension. But we will not tarnish the credibility of the [board of inquiry] and the PNP,” Magalong said.

“We need to study their findings and look at the available evidence. We should always base our findings on facts and evidence,” he stressed.

Although the board was able to secure affidavits, he said the investigators also wanted to interview several people who had direct participation in the Mamasapano mission for clarifications.

Interview with Aquino

Magalong said the board members were also hoping to sit down with President Aquino and his bosom buddy, resigned PNP Director General Alan Purisima, who both gave direct instructions to the sacked SAF chief, Director Getulio Napeñas, regarding the mission to take down Malaysian bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” and his Filipino accomplice, Basit Usman.

“We expressed our intention to interview the President through (Interior) Secretary Mar Roxas. In fact, I also mentioned it to (Espina). [Unfortunately], we did not get any feedback,” Magalong said.

Poe said Purisima must be hiding something, as he refused to cooperate with the board of inquiry.

“By his actions, I’m quite sure,” Poe said.

Magalong promised to make the report public, but said it should first go through the official channels.–With a report from Christine O. Avendaño