PNoy owns up to SAF44 tragedy
But Coloma says President is unlikely to apologize for the Mamasapano incident
President Aquino has already accepted “personal responsibility” for the Mamasapano operation and remains committed to pursuing truth and justice over the tragedy, Malacañang said yesterday after the Chief Executive suffered a record-low in his trust and approval ratings.
“From the outset, the President has acknowledged his personal responsibility, as when he declared on February 6 in a message televised nationwide,” Presidential Communications Opera- tions Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.
But the President is still unlikely to apologize for the Mamasapano debacle despite the all-time low rating, Coloma said.
Instead, he said, the President and his government will continue to make people understand the events related to the Mamasapano operation.
He said Malacañang will “work harder” to earn people’s trust and confidence as it continues to explain the Chief Executive’s actions related to the ill-fated operation.
“We are determined to
work even harder to continually earn our people’s trust and confidence,” said Coloma in a Palace press briefing.
“We will continue to explain the aspects that occurred, especially where there are still doubts. We will not stop in explaining because our people must understand the entire incident and know the truth,” he added.
Coloma made the remarks after recognizing the President’s approval rating slipped to 38 percent in March, 2015, from 59 percent in November, 2014, based on the last Pulse Asia survey. Aquino’s trust rating also fell to 36 percent this month, compared to 56 percent in November last year.
Coloma said the President’s latest ratings reflected public sentiment arising from the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) operation to capture international terror suspects in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last January.
Coloma said the President, as father of the nation, has recognized the Mamasapano tragedy happened during his term and would take this to the end of his days. “The President has repeatedly said that all successes and all failures of his administration land on his doorstep. He believes that, in time, the truth will set us all free,” he said.
“The President and his administration will remain truthful in all their statements. Like what I said, the President is hopeful that in time the truth will set us all free,” he added.
Coloma also expressed confidence that the President could overcome the huge drop in his popularity rating in light of the Mamasapano incident. He said the President will continue to fulfill his duty to preserve and defend the Constitution, do justice to every Filipino, and promote the national interest until the end of his term.
“The President and the administra- tion are hoping our people will understand this incident,” Coloma said. “Our people are essentially fair in their assessment of our governance.”
Despite getting the lowest rating in his presidency, the President still enjoys higher public trust and approval ratings compared to former Presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo, according to Coloma.
The Palace official presented a graph of the popularity ratings of Aquino and his two predecessors during the Palace press conference.
Amid public outrage over the Mamasapano incident, Coloma also affirmed that the President “remains firmly committed to rendering justice as well as pursuing the peace process.”
“In the remaining 14 months, the President and the Cabinet will intensify the implementation of development programs and the strengthening of institutional reforms toward achieving sustainable and inclusive growth and fulfilling our people’s aspirations,” he added.