The bloody Mamasapano operation in 2015 was the result of “greed” of running after the $5-million bounty for Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir or “Marwan,” President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday.
“Sa Mamasapano, it was a question of greed—kwarta. Puro sila ano, sa SAF, somebody directing them para makuha nila reward $5 million,” Duterte said in a speech before the troops at the 1st Infantry Division in Zamboanga del Sur.
The President vowed there would not be a repeat of the antiterror operation under his term.
“These are the things na dili mahitabo sa akong panahon. Dili ko musugot anang tinorpe na desisyon. It’s very stupid. Maasahan na nila iyan. Dili ko musugot ug in-ana (These are the things that will not happen during my term. I will not allow another stupid decision. It’s very stupid. That I can assure them. I will not allow it to happen),” he said.
In January 2015, 44 elite cops and several civilians died in an encounter involving the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police, the Moro Islamic Liberation and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.