Poe sees no reason to reopen Senate probe on Mamasapano incident

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Grace Poe saw no reason for the Senate to reopen its investigation into the Mamasapano operation even after a video of sacked Special Action Force head Director Getulio Napeñas giving a briefing a day after the January 25 operation came out in the media.

In that video, Napeñas admitted the operation was kept secret among him, President Benigno Aquino III and then suspended Philippine National Police Chief Director Genera Alan Purisima.

“I think the video raises the concern of who has the command responsibility, time-on-target, who had the authority to command the operations. These are the things that we will already address. Whether or not the video came out, I think we have enough information to be able to address it,” said Poe, who led the Senate probe as head of the committee on public order.

Asked then if the release of the video should entail another hearing of the Senate, the senator said: “I don’t see any reason why there should be another hearing with regard to that. “

“But of course we will see, how, when we’re putting the committee report. Remember, we also have to discuss with the Senate, with my colleagues in the Senate regarding executive session discussions that will be included in the committee report,” she said.

“Perhaps in my mind, it is already complete because with the executive sessions, there were a lot that were discussed there, in fact, that have not been discussed in the public hearing. So for me, I think, we have pretty much extensive information that at this point we don’t think that we need another public hearing,” Poe added.

Poe’s committee along with committees on peace, unification and reconciliation and finance concluded last week its investigation on the incident after holding five hearings and executive sessions.

The three committees have yet to come up with a report and findings of their inquiry.

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