MANILA, Philippines - The head of the Philippine National Police's (PNP) Board of Inquiry (BOI) on Thursday clarified that they will not amend their report on the Mamasapano incident, which led to the deaths of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) members.
Director Benjamin Magalong also said the BOI members did not retract their findings on the Mamasapano incident during their meeting with President Aquino.
"Again uulitin ko we stand by our word. Di namin pinapalitan yung conclusions namin , nung findings namin dun sa aming BOI report. At yung meeting kay Presidente, it does not affect yung aming report at sa investigation on Mamasapano," Magalong told a media briefing at Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Magalong noted that the BOI members merely stated facts in their report regarding the Mamasapno incident.
"It's just a statement of fact, basahin n'yo. The President exercised his prerogative to deal directly with Napenas. Dealing with [Gen. Getulio] Napenas bypassed the chain of command...Kaya anong liability nya wala. Kaya we just stated the fact. Now, based on established standards, tama ba yan? Kayo na maghusga," Magalong said.
"Yung statement ko na yun does not clear the President [from] the Mamasapano. Yung finding namin nagbago ba? I don't think so. Dun ako nagtataka talaga eh. Bakit biglang lumabas na clear ko na si President," he added, saying that he was hurt by news reports saying that he exonerated the Chief Executive.
Napenas, who led the Mamasapano operation, said that it appears the BOI betrayed the integrity and dignity of the PNP as an organization.
"Unang una ginagawa namin ito because we owe it to the SAF people, we owe it to the family. We owe it to the people who died. It would be an injustice to them that in just one sitting, with just one interview, babaguhin ko agad," Magalong said.
Magalong said his meeting with President Aquino last Tuesday was only to clarify issues on the BOI report.
"In-explain ko lang sa inyo kung ano yung mga issues na ni-raise ng ating Presidente. But will it change the outcome, the conclusions of our BOI report? It does not.We will stand by it. We stood our ground. Alam ng mga tao in that particular meeting kung ano ang napagusapan namin," he added.
Magalong said the BOI report could serve a basis or reference for different government agencies to file necessary charges regarding the Mamasapano clash, which has led to the suspension of hearing on the Bangsamoro Basic Law in Congress.
The proposed law will pave the way for the creation of a new Bangsamoro entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.