Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The Office the Ombudsman is close to wrapping up its own investigation of the Mamasapano clash.
In an interview with reporters on Friday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said the panel of investigators had given its word that it would submit its investigation report within the month.
“There was some glitch because we’re [investigating not only] the principal actors, but [also] some participants who were not investigated and [who] we think… should be investigated for us to get a holistic picture,” Morales said.
Asked if the antigraft body would recommend the filing of charges against public officials implicated in the Mamasapano encounter, Morales said she would first evaluate the recommendations of the investigative panel.
“I’m not bound by the recommendation of the panel. Although as I said, I have some advance reports already. But unless the entire picture is submitted to me, I’m not going to come up with a judgment. I don’t like to be judgmental,” she said.
The Ombudsman conducted its own probe into the bungled police counterterrorism operation that ended in a daylong gun battle between Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos and Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindano province, on Jan. 25.
The fighting left 44 SAF commandos, 17 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels and three civilians dead and set back the peace process between the government and the MILF.