WATCH: SAF troopers' 'cold shoulder treatment' on Aquino

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - Did President Benigno Aquino III receive a cold shoulder from members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF)?

After his meeting last Friday with relatives of the 44 SAF troopers slain in Mamasapano Maguindanao, Aquino also spoke to other members of the elite police group.

In his short speech, Aquino tried to connect with the mourning policemen by recalling how he survived an ambush in 1987 that killed three of his bodyguards. He also assured the SAF troopers that his administration will not neglect their welfare.

"Hindi namin kayo pinabayaan. Talagang inaalagaan namin kayo at inaaruga namin kayo," Aquino said.

Before ending his message, Aquino asked the commandos if they have something to tell him.

"Baka may gusto kayong sabihin sa akin ngayon, nandito ako para handang makining," Aquino told the cops.

But Aquino did not get a response from the policemen, some of whom were just looking at the ground during his speech,

"Sigurado kayo? Baka nagkakahiyaan tayo dito. Hindi dapat tayo magkahiyaan. Hindi tayo magkakaunawaan kung magkikimkim tayo," Aquino said.

"Kung gusto niyo mas madali isulat, isulat niyo. Kung gusto niyong ipadaan sa mga opisyal niyo, idaan niyo sa opisyal niyo," he added.

Aquino then told the policemen that he is committed to raise the morale of the PNP following the Mamasapano tragedy.

"Sigurado kayo, wala kayong gustong pag-usapan ngayong gabi?" Aquino asked again before concluding his speech.

Aquino's words to the grieving policemen did not sit well with some netizens.

"That SILENCE may have been the most painful and agonizing silence I heard," commented Youtube user euldarath02.

Youtube user Philip Ting pointed out that if Aquino intended to have a conversation with the policemen, he should have done it in a "comfortably warm atmosphere more conducive to dialogue."

"If this was a serious attempt at a dialogue, [dapat] nakaupo lahat, patas ang field, hindi yung nasa podium ang commander in chief looking over the standing ranks," Ting said.

"This was clearly more an attempt to project a 'strong leader, rahrahrah!!' atmosphere, which, I think backfired because the way the SAF guys looked, they were not about to give a damn at anything the guy on the podium says," he added.

In a media interview on Wednesday, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma downplayed the treatment received by Aquino from the policemen.

"Nauunawaan naman po namin, sandali lang naman kasi iyong pagkakataon. Ang sinabi naman ng Pangulo, kung wala pa silang kahandaan sa oras na iyon, dahil napakabigat pa po ng kalooban, ay bukas naman iyong pintuan para sila ay maghayag pa ng saloobin nila," Coloma said.

Here's the complete video of Aquino's recent speech before the SAF troopers, courtesy of Radio and Television Malacañang: