Militant solons scored President Benigno Aquino III for hiding the alleged involvement of the United States in the botched Mamasapano operation.
In a statement on Tuesday, Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon said a video posted on the INQUIRER.net website shows clearly that a Caucasian was among the casualties in the botched “Oplan Exodus” anti-terror raid which took down terrorist Zulkilfi Bin Hir alias Marwan last Jan. 25.
READ: Unidentifed Caucasian killed in Mamasapano
Ridon said the involvement of the US in the operation should prompt Congress to reopen its probe on the tragedy that left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters, and five civilians dead.
He said the US should be held accountable for its involvement in the Mamasapano, which the government, police, and the US Embassy vehemently denied.
READ: No American personnel killed in Mamasapano, says US embassy | Ex-SAF chief: No foreigner participated or died in Mamasapano
“Both chambers of Congress should actually resume the probe on Mamasapano and determine the real extent of Washington’s role in the whole affair. We should not let the US escape accountability for the death of our SAF men,” Ridon said.
He cited the Philippine National Police (PNP) Board of Inquiry report, which found that six American nationals were at the command center in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao hours before the SAF swooped down on the MILF territory in Mamasapano to hunt down Marwan.
“Let us be reminded of the Board of Inquiry’s revelation in their report that US forces, six Americans in particular, were present at the PNP SAF’s tactical command post a day before the bloody clash. With the emergence of this piece of visual evidence to back that finding, I believe we can dig deeper and know more about the extent of Washington’s involvement in this whole affair,” Ridon said.
For her part, Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan said the differing versions on the supposed US involvement in the operation would not result in bringing out the truth.
“The trouble with refusing to accept proof or evidences of the tragic incident, even if it is staring at you in the eye, is that different versions will keep on surfacing. A convenient truth will never set us free,” Ilagan said.
She said President Benigno Aquino III’s statement that an investigation over an “alternative version” of the incident is underway might actually result in a cover-up.
“What is the truth that suits your interests? Creating different truths for convenience spawns injustice, impunity. Aquino’s alternate truth is tantamount to a cover-up. If this government is intent on pursuing justice for those who died in Mamasapano then there can be no alternate truth from what actually happened,” she said. JE