Palace: Senate free to do what it wants on results of its Mamasapano probe

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senate is free to do what it wants with the results of its own investigation on the Mamasapano operation, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said he will wait for a copy of the report before issuing a statement.

READ: Poe releases Senate draft report on Mamasapano incident

Nevertheless, he said, “What the Senate wants to do with their findings will be up to them.”

Coloma also explained that the purpose of the Congressional hearings is to create remedial legislation.

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the committee on public order, on Tuesday said that the results of their hearings showed that President Benigno Aquino III was ultimately responsible for the mission.

She also said that the United States had a hand in the operation by providing intelligence, training and equipment.

Coloma, however, said that government’s view on the matter has not changed.

“The government’s position on that is based on the statement of the Department of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

READ: DFA clears US of involvement in Mamasapano

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said last month that the planning and execution of the mission was “100-percent Filipino.”

However, the executive summary of the Senate report said, “The testimonies of various resource persons, particularly during the executive hearings, provide indications that the US had significant participation in Oplan Exodus. This is contrary to the submission of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).”

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