Senators sign report finding Aquino responsible for Mamasapano

President Benigno Aquno III. AP file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Almost majority of the senators have already signed a Senate draft report that found President Benigno Aquino III, among others, responsible for the Mamasapano incident.

“We need just 3 more I think,” Senator Grace Poe, who drafted the report as head of the Senate committee on public order, said in a text message when asked if majority of senators have already attached their signatures.

Poe heads the lead committee that investigated the Mamasapano incident along with the committees on finance and peace, unification and reconciliation.

At least five senators confirmed signing the draft report in separate text messages.

The five were Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Acting Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Ferdinand “Bongbong Marcos Jr., and Nancy Binay.

Escudero, chairman of the finance committee, Recto and Marcos belong to the majority bloc while Sotto and Binay belong to the minority group.

“Yes, I did concur, without prejudice to my submission of additional observations/ amendments,” Recto said in a text message.

Asked how many senators have signed the draft report, Recto said: “Almost majority. I expect a majority to sign.”

Escudero also confirmed, in a separate text message, signing the draft report.

Asked if the draft report was already signed by the majority members of the three committees that investigated the incident, Escudero said it was still three or four short of the 13 needed signatures.

Sotto, for his part, clarified that he signed the draft report “with a proposal that I may amend.”

“I agree with the broad strokes of the report. There are still missing jigsaw to the puzzle but I agree on the three objectives of Katotohanan, Katarungan and Kapayapaan,” he said in another text message.

“Everybody shares the blame: 44 lives were lost. We could have done better. It should not have been a suicide mission,” he added.

Binay said she also signed the draft report but also with a note that she might amend.

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