BOI chair: SAF killed Marwan; I will quit if proven wrong

Director Benjamin Magalong, the former chief of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group who headed the board of inquiry that investigated the botched SAF operation, said Sunday he was standing by the police finding that Marwan was killed by the police commandos. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Board of Inquiry (BOI) chair Benjamin Magalong told lawmakers Thursday that he is willing to resign if proven that the Special Action Force (SAF) did not kill international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan.”

During the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) budget hearing at the House of Representatives, Director Magalong, former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief, said he would resign if the SAF were not those which killed Marwan.

“If proven otherwise, willing ako mag-step down. Ganun ang conviction ko (If proven otherwise, I am willing to step down. That is my conviction),” Magalong told the lawmakers.

He said he would not allow his reputation as the lead investigator of the Jan. 25 Mamasapano incident to be tarnished.

READ: Full report: The Mamasapano incident

“Unang-una, pag proven otherwise… ano pang gamit ko as investigator? Masisira yung credibility ko as investigator or head of investigating body investigating Mamasapano incident,” Magalong said.

(First of all, if proven otherwise, what is my being an investigator good for? My credibility as investigator or head of the investigating body investigating the Mamasapano incident will be tarnished.)

Magalong headed the inquiry board which investigated the botched antiterror raid in Mamasapano, Maguindanao to Marwan which resulted in the deaths of 44 SAF troopers, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and five civilians.

“I think we have covered everything and we are very, very confident insofar as ‘yung killing of Marwan, definitely SAF ang nakapatay (SAF killed him),” Magalong said.

Magalong admitted the reports from the MILF which claimed it was Marwan’s aide who killed the notorious terrorist dampened the morale of the SAF troopers who survived the 12-hour gunfight.

READ: ‘Marwan killed by aide’

“Marami talagang natatanggap na text messages, marami akong naririnig na nagcoconvey ng sentiments, talagang mababa ang morale ng SAF troopers. Hindi lang mga SAF troopers pati ‘yung ibang Philippine National Police, nalulungkot doon sa nilabas na allegation ng MILF,” Magalong said.

(I have been receiving several text messages and getting the sentiments of others, the morale of SAF troopers is really low. Even other members of the Philippine National Police are distraught about the MILF’s allegation.)

According to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report, the MILF investigation showed that the bullets pierced the hut where Marwan was 46 centimeters from the floor.

This means the bullets outside could not have killed Marwan, who was lying down when he was hunted down. The MILF theory only bolsters the claim an aide killed Marwan, who was already dead when the SAF arrived.

The purported involvement of the United States also surfaced when a video of the aftermath showed a Caucasian-looking casualty referred to as “buddy.”

The presence of American casualties in the Jan. 25 attack raised suspicions that the United States was involved in the planning and attack in Mamasapano. Marc Jayson Cayabyab/IDL