Mar Roxas.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
“I have nothing to hide.”
Such was the statement of former Interior Secretary and Liberal Party’s standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, saying he would attend the reopening of the Mamasapano probe at the Senate if invited.
“E wala naman tayong itinatago at kung ano man ang nais nilang tanungin ay wala namang problema,” Roxas told reporters in an interview in Romblon on Saturday.
(I have nothing to hide and whatever they want to ask, there won’t be any problem.)
“Hindi ako aatras sa kahit na anong imbestigasyon at ako ay para sa hayag na pagtingin sa lahat ng mga bagay,” he added.
(I won’t back out in any investigation and I am open to looking into different angles.)
Despite the series of investigation conducted by the Senate, the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police (PNP), Roxas said he was willing to answer questions, which could have been left unanswered in previous investigations.
“So kung meron pang hindi naitanong e di bukas tayong tumulong, kung ipapatawag tayo para sagutin lahat ng itong mga katanungan,” he said.
(If there were questions unasked, I am open to help if I would be called to answer all these questions.)
Last January 5, presidential aspirant and Senator Grace Poe said the Senate would reopen the investigation on the Mamasapano incident.
READ: Poe: Senate to reopen Mamasapano probe on operation’s 1st anniversary
The Mamasapano operation, executed last January 25, 2015, resulted in the death of more than 60 people, including 44 members of the PNP Special Action Force.
According to a report read by Poe, chair of the senate committee on public order, in a press conference last March, President Benigno Aquino III was “ultimately responsible” for the Mamasapano tragedy.
Despite being bypassed, Roxas defended Aquino and cleared the President of any liability over the tragic police operation contrary to the findings of the Senate investigation.
On Friday, Aquino blamed politics for the Senate decision to reopen the probe on Mamasapano tragedy.
READ: Alluding to Poe, Aquino cites ‘politics,’ ‘ill feelings’ amid Mamasapano probe reopening
The President hinted at his political rivals who he said was trying to discredit him and rest of his administration ahead of the 2016 elections.
Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile had earlier asked the Senate committee handling the investigation to reopen the probe for “possibly new evidence.” RAM
READ: Enrile info prompts new Mamasapano inquiry