Duterte still to name truth commission members

The members of the truth commission that President Duterte would create to look into the 2015 Mamasapano massacre would be known in the next few weeks, a Palace official said on Sunday.

Marie Banaag, Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary, reiterated that Mr. Duterte wanted the body to conclude the soonest its investigation into the disastrous counterterrorism operation, which led to the death of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos.

“Hopefully, within a few weeks from now, the composition of the commission [would be finalized] because the President would like to have a fast investigation,” Banaag told state-owned dzRB radio.

She pointed out that documents pertaining to the previous probes conducted by the Senate and the Philippine National Police on the Jan. 25, 2015, tragic police raid were readily available.

“So more or less, the reports are already complete,” she said. “However, the commission would be polishing if they need more evidence or data to complete the recommendation so that the President would have a clear picture of the Mamasapano incident.”

In a dialogue with relatives of the slain SAF personnel last Tuesday, the President announced his decision to form a seven-member commission to find out what caused the botched raid the previous investigations failed to determine.

He also openly castigated his predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino III, for sending to the “lion’s den… to be eaten by death” the police commandos, who, the President claimed, were not trained in rural terrain combat.