PNP board of inquiry going to Mamasapano

A FARMER sends his carabao to graze on the site of a gun battle between Moro guerrillas and Special Action Force commandos in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province, where 44 commandos died, many after making their last mobile phone calls to their families. JEOFFREY MAITEM/INQUIRER MINDANAO FILE PH OTO

With its work more than halfway done, the Philippine National Police board of inquiry (BOI) is set to go to Mamasapano, Maguindanao, on Tuesday for an ocular investigation of the site where 44 Special Action Force commandos were slaughtered on Jan. 25.

Director Benjamin Magalong, the BOI chair, said they hope to talk to people in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during the trip to Maguindanao province.

“We asked the MILF if we can interview some personalities who have personal knowledge of what happened,” said Magalong. “We have all the time to talk to them.”

The visit to Mamasapano will enable the BOI to have a complete picture of what happened on the day the SAF mounted a raid that killed its main target, Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan.”

During the withdrawal, the commandos encountered forces of the MILF, its breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and other armed groups in a daylong firefight that left 44 of them dead.

Report 70% done

With nine days to go before the BOI’s one-month deadline ends, the investigation being conducted by its operational audit team had reached at least 70-percent completion, said Magalong.

“After finishing our mission in Mamasapano, we will return to Manila to write the report. We are doing our best to beat the one-month deadline,” he said.

The board, more or less, knows what happened from the mission planning, execution to the termination of the operation, Magalong said.

Amid finger-pointing that has strained relations between the police and the military, Magalong appealed to the public not to engage in speculation and wait for the results of the inquiry, one of several being undertaken, including initiatives in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

He said there would be no whitewash and that the board would not be influenced by outside forces.

The board has yet to get statements of three Philippine Military Academy mistah on the incident—Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, the PNP officer in charge, resigned PNP Director General Alan Purisima and Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff.

Confidence-building

Purisima, who said he merely gave “advice” to the operation while he was under suspension on corruption charges, has promised to submit a statement to the board.

“He knows of the deadline and we continue to communicate,” said Magalong.

The board has given guide questions to Espina and Catapang. Espina is scheduled for an interview on Friday.

Asked if the BOI would also get a statement from President Aquino, Magalong said the BOI was discussing if this was needed. The PNP inquiry is purely fact-finding, he said, the prosecutorial aspect will be with the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“The significance of this is that it is a confidence-building measure for the peace process … Our intention is to come up with a very truthful report. We want to be able to answer the families’ questions about what happened,” he added.

Hold back sensitive portions

The BOI’s final report will be released to the public, except for sensitive portions which may endanger national security.

“We are working closely with the DOJ, as well as with our Internal Affairs Service for the administrative cases against the police officials, if any. We are also cooperating with the Ombudsman and the Commission on Human Rights,” Magalong said.

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