House bloc seeks vote on suspension of Mamasapano probe

MANILA, Philippines - A group of legislators in the House of Representatives is seeking a vote in the plenary in a bid to prove wrong the move to suspend the inquiry into the Mamasapano incident.

The independent bloc of lawmakers led by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said they believe a majority of the House members were strongly against the suspension on Monday of the joint inquiry into the killing of 44 policemen by Muslim rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.

“If our counterparts in the Senate can go on with their own investigation unhampered, we see no reason why we in the House could not do the same. We don’t need to depend on the findings of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) for its probe of the Mamasapano massacre,” Romualdez said, referring to the probe body of the Philippine National Police investigating the incident.

Leaders of the chamber earlier said the joint probe of the committees on public order and safety, and peace, reconciliation and unity was suspended pending the results of the investigation of the PNP-BOI.

He said the House is trying to establish the entire picture of what really happened in Mamasapano, as against the BOI’s limitation to the PNP.

Romualdez also disagreed with the argument of some quarters that the indefinite suspension of the hearings would help ease tensions between the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“If ever there is indeed tension between the PNP and the AFP, it is not because of the House probe. It’s because the key personalities in the issue are refusing to fully cooperate and reveal everything they know about the true story behind the Mamasapano carnage,” he said.

The plan of the independent bloc came amid persistent reports that Malacañang was engaged in a cover-up to protect President Aquino from accountability for the fiasco.

A youth group, however, wanted an independent probe on the incident.

“How can we expect the truth to come out if the investigating bodies themselves are whirlpools of political patronage? Both the House and the Senate are beholden to Malacañang, and will not dare disclose the President’s real role in the Mamasapano clash, much less US intervention,” Youth Act Now spokesman Mico Pangalangan said.

The group cited apparent attempts to cover up the principal players in the incident.

Pangalangan cited the decision of the Senate to hold executive sessions on its investigation even as the House decided to indefinitely suspend its probe.

“It comes as no surprise that both houses of Congress are terminating their separate probes on the Mamasapano clash even if the essential questions have not yet been answered,” Pangalangan said. “This is a deliberate attempt to shield the President from accountability and leave the question on the United States’ involvement hanging.”

Pangalangan called for the creation of an independent body composed of representatives from different sectors to investigate the incident.

The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), on the other hand, said it supported the indefinite suspension of deliberations of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the House until the investigations are completed.

“This (incident) may well be an ominous sign for us to step back, reflect and proceed cautiously in crafting a law that will truly and genuinely bring peace not only in Mindanao, but in the entire country,” the NPC said in a resolution. – With Janvic Mateo