Robredo to gov’t execs: Don’t use duty to further political ambition

Now that the election period has started, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo says politicians—including herself—should not take advantage of their duties as government officials to gain popularity.

Like her allies in Liberal Party, the vice presidential aspirant is also skeptic about the intention of some senators in their participation in the upcoming probe on the Mamasapano operation that led to the death of more than 60 Filipinos in Maguindanao province.

According to Robredo, presidential aspirant and Sen. Grace Poe and all senators seeking for reelection should keep their hands off politics in the reopening of the investigation into the controversial raid on Jan. 25.

“(Mag-inhibit sila) para sana hindi nagagamit sa pulitika ‘yung trabaho. Pero ‘yung pag-iinhibit kasi is a personal decision,” she said during the Pandesal Forum at Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City on Tuesday.

“Kandidato kami. Dapat mas maging maingat kami na ‘yung trabaho namin hindi magagamit sa furtherance ng aming pulitika,” she said.

The reopening of the probe stemmed from the recommendation of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile—a member of the opposition—to discuss “possibly new evidence“ that could explain why 44 Special Action Force commandos were left to die in a cornfield in Barangay Tukanalipao after successfully taking down Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir or “Marwan.”

As chair of the Senate committee on public order, Poe, a rival of LP standard-bearer Mar Roxas, will lead the Mamasapano probe, which will start on the first anniversary of the tragedy.

“Kasi parating magiging suspicious ‘yung aming ginagawa kung ginagawa ba namin ito dahil sa gusto namin mas lalo mapalawig popularity,” she said.

The Senate’s conclusion in their previous investigation on the single deadliest operation in the history of Philippine National Police found President Benigni Aquino III “ultimately responsible” for the death of his men.

In an earlier interview, Roxas said he was willing to attend the Senate probe if he was invited.