DOJ working for transfer of Mamasapano case to Manila
Five days before the second anniversary of the Mamasapano massacre, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is working for the transfer of the case from Cotabato to Manila, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said yesterday.
Aguirre explained the DOJ filed the request for a change of venue “for the security of the witnesses and the possibility that the court might be subject to pressure” in deciding the complex crime of direct assault with murder against 88 respondents from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
The Cotabato court has not yet decided if there is probable cause for the issuance of warrants of arrest.
In December 2016, prosecutors were asked to submit additional evidence, including birth certificates of the respondents, in order to establish their identity.
“The problem was solved already. Certified copies of birth certificates have been submitted to the court,” Aguirre said.
President Duterte earlier said that he would like to know the truth behind the Mamasapano incident that led to the death of 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF).
On Jan. 25, 2015, the PNP-SAF went to Barangay Tukanalipao in Mamasapano, Maguindanao to capture or kill Malaysian terrorist and bomb-maker Zulkifli Bin Hir, alias Marwan, and other terrorists hiding in the remote area.
After the PNP-SAF killed Marwan, they were attacked by the MILF and BIFF members despite the ongoing peace talks between the government and MILF. Military support withheld due to peace talks
A retired senior military official admitted yesterday that while the PNP-SAF were under attack by the MILF and BIFF in Tukanalipao, the much-needed military support was withheld so as not to jeopardize the ongoing peace talks.
The retired military official was com- menting on Duterte’s question as to why the SAF troopers did not get close-air support or immediate military reinforcement at the height of the fighting.
“Had attack helicopters or Air Force planes been deployed to provide close-air support, scores of MILF rebels as well as civilians could have died and this could have resulted in the collapse of peace talks between the Aquino government and the MILF,” the official explained.
“Had attack helicopters or OV-10 bombers or the SF260 planes been deployed to just to conduct persuasion flights, the carnage could have been avoided,” the official added.
He also claimed that former president Benigno Aquino III was in Zamboanga City almost the whole day on Jan. 25, 2015 and was monitoring the situation on the ground in Barangay Tukanalipao.
“As commander- in- chief, Aquino could have just ordered the deployment of air assets but apparently withheld this action because it might derail the peace talks,” the official said.
The official also said that in many major operations forwarded to him for clearance, Aquino was very meticulous and even involved himself in the planning.