MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III's speech last Monday did not affect any of the findings of the Philippine National Police's (PNP) Board of Inquiry (BOI) on the Mamasapano incident, the panel head said on Thursday.
BOI head Police Director Benjamin Magalong said the panel members were surprised when the president narrated last Monday how sacked Special Action Force chief Getulio Napenas fooled him on the operation to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hin, also known as Marwan.
"Absolutely, it has nothing to do with that (Presiden't speech).Na surprise nga kami... pero walang pumigil sa aming resolve na alamin ang katotohanan. Walang pressure sa amin, walang distraction," Magalong told reporters during an interview.
He also noted that there were no whitewash in the course of the fact-finding mission of the panel.
With the completion of the 120-page BOI report, Magalong said panel members can now sleep soundly, knowing that it has been transparent and truthful in their findings.
"Makakatulog kami nang maayos at least makakaharap kami sa tao na di kami nahihiya," the BOI head said.
Magalong said he is confident that Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas will also want the findings of the BOI be made public.
"May nag create sa amin at syempre sa pagbigay galang ka doon sa nag create at hindi kami basta basta maglalabas. Pero I believe that the SILG would also like the result of the investigation be out in the public," Magalong said.
He that the findings of the BOI report will be also be submitted to the PNP officer in charge Leonardo Espina and to the PNP's Doctrine and Human Resource Management and Development office.
"It will be a good material for training, for studying," Magalong said.
The BOI head said the panel prepared five sets of the report to be distributed to the several government agencies, including the Senate, Office of the Ombudsman, and Department of Justice.
The BOI report was already signed by the panel members. It will be submitted to Espina anytime today.