A healthy-looking Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile has criticized President Benigno Aquino III for “sleeping” in the face of the Mamasapano tragedy.
Taking the stage for the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) proclamation rally on Tuesday, Enrile, one of the party’s founders, said there would be more Mamasapano incidents to come if a successor of Aquino would be elected president.
No such incident, however, would occur under the capable leadership of UNA standard-bearer Jejomar Binay, Enrile said.
READ: Binay hits Aquino over Mamasapano in proclamation speech
“Kung palpak ang pangulo na ’yan, marami pang Mamasapano ang mangyayari sa ating bansa. Kung magaling ang inyong timon at hindi tutulog-tulog, nagtatago sa kabarilan, kaklase at mga kaibigan, ay walang mamatay sa digmaan,” Enrile said.
Enrile, who was released from hospital detention after the Supreme Court granted him bail from plunder over the pork barrel scam due to his frail health, raised his hands and shook his fists in might as he told the audience his vow to continue fighting the current president.
“Ako’y magiging 92 years old na, ngunit lumalaban pa rin. Kahit na presidente, nilalabanan ko para sa inyo,” Enrile said, rousing cheers from the crowd.
Aquino has denied accountability over the Jan. 25, 2015, antiterror raid which resulted in the deaths of 44 Special Action Force policemen in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
The elite cops were able to kill their target international terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan until Muslim fighters, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, fired and slaughtered the besieged troops.
Former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, another pillar of UNA, did not show up at Binay’s proclamation, but his son Jude Ejercito was present. RC
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