Marcos: Gov’t should prioritize jailing SAF 44 ‘murderers’

Senator Bongbong Marcos. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday reminded the Aquino administration that it should prioritize arresting and jailing the men responsible for the deaths of the 44 policemen during the botched Mamasapano operation last January 25.

“The families of the victims want no less than swift justice. They are not asking for anything else, they are not hoping for other things than to see the culprits behind bars,” Marcos said in a statement.

The senator said he agreed with the Senate committee report that the 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) were “murdered” by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and private armed groups (PAGs) in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao.

The findings of the report were presented by Senator Grace Poe, who lead the Senate probe as chair of the committee on public order.

READ: Poe releases Senate draft report on Mamasapano incident

“I’m really convinced by and agree with the findings that our troops were massacred and murdered. That’s what I’ve said from the start. And the videos that we have seen showed how our SAF members were senselessly killed. That’s why murder is the right gruesome term,” he said.

READ: FULL TEXT: Senate draft report on Mamasapano incident

Among the committee report’s findings is that “MILF and BIFF fighters and members of other PAGs committed murder, robbery.” It opposed earlier testimonies that the groups fired back in self-defense.