Palace blasts Bongbong over Mamasapano

Malacañang hit back at Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for adding political color to the Mamasapano incident after an alternative version of events has surfaced.

“Ano ba naman ito si Bongbong Marcos, pinupulitika ang isang bagay na di dapat pinupulitika [What’s with Bongbong Marcos? He’s trying to politicize an issue that must not be politicized],” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a Palace press briefing.

Lacierda said an investigation into the alleged alternative version of the Mamasapano operation is already underway to uncover the truth. “May alternative version daw, ‘yan po ay vina-validate ngayon, so huwag nating i-pulitika ‘yan

[There is supposedly an alternative version which is being verified. Let’s not politicize it],” he said.

Marcos had earlier expressed concern over a looming “cover-up” in President Aquino’s revelation of an alternative version of the Mamasapano incident last January 25. The senator said he was surprised the President was defending the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rather than the police force involved in the Mamasapano operation.

Lacierda, however, urged Marcos to just wait for the results of the investigation on what really transpired during the fateful police operation in Maguindanao early this year. He said the investigation seeks to find “closure” to the incident that left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers dead in a clash with Muslim rebels.

“It’s about making sure that we close this issue once and for all. There were a number of versions that were coming out. We need to validate and we need to make certain what is the final truth and that is forthcoming. So we assure the people that the validation is forthcoming,” he said.