Duterte to only talk about Mamasapano under oath, in official proceedings

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday he would only reveal “under oath” what he learned about the Jan. 25, 2015 Mamasapano carnage during a command conference presided over by President Aquino, if he was officially summoned by the right government body.

Duterte vowed to  remain tight-lipped about the details of a meeting, which he attended and which was presided over by President Aquino inside the Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) here on Jan. 25, 2015, the day the Mamasapano fighting happened in Maguindanao.

“It (the information) was given in confidentiality because I was at the command conference,” Duterte said.

He said he “was aware” of what happened hours earlier in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, before he entered the VIP lounge at the EAAB for the meeting.

Duterte, a candidate for president in the 2016 elections, also refused to describe the demeanor of President Aquino during their meeting late afternoon of Jan. 25, 2015.

“I cannot talk about it kasi parang confession yan (because the information is like part of a confession). I was invited. I am a government employee,” he said.

But Duterte said if he would be summoned to talk, he might do so “under oath.”  SFM