New info on Mamasapano may be meant to muddle issue – Noy

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino yesterday clarified that the executive department is trying to find out who really killed Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, in Mamasapano to know the whole truth about the operation last January that resulted in the death of 44 members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF).

Aquino admitted that the new information may be meant to muddle the issue.

“We are also considering that perhaps this alternative is muddling the issue. So to know the truth, we need to have testimony and evidence and these are being gathered,” he said in Filipino during a chance interview in Iloilo City where he led the inauguration of the Iloilo Convention Center.

“It is important to know the truth so we can learn lessons from what happened in Mamasapano… As far as the executive (department) is concerned, there is an allegation that the narrative is incorrect. So our job is to know the truth. Is it the first version, the alternative version, or a combination of both versions?

“We are not saying that we are sure that this alternative version is true. We are not discounting the possibility that the alternative version is totally false,” he clarified.

Aquino said that it is necessary to look into this “alternative truth” if the public really wants to know the whole truth.

The SAF was on a mission to neutralize Marwan in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25. During the operation, however, the SAF engaged in a gun battle with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and other Moro fighters that resulted in the death of more than 60 people.

Marwan was also killed in the operation, which happened while the peace talks between the government and MILF were ongoing.

But the leadership of the MILF has refuted the claim of SAF troopers that they killed Marwan.

PNP chief: Police force hurt

PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez admitted that the morale of the PNP has been affected by the new turn of events in the Mamasapano probe. 

“A part of me feels that way. When 44 people died and then they will talk about alternative truth, it hurts,” he said in Filipino.

“It is not good for the morale of the people because 44 people died. That is why I say the people who are claiming they have other versions of the events should provide evidence that will support their allegations.”

Marquez also said he is eyeing a case review on the report submitted by the PNP Board of Inquiry to check whether there were details overlooked during the two-month probe into the Mamasapano operation.

“I have talked to Director (Benjamin) Magalong and we will likely conduct case review to see if there were details they failed to consider or questions they failed to ask. We will go back to the documents to help in the determination of the truth,” Marquez told reporters. “Case review is always an option, especially if there were other information.”

Magalong, chief of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, was chairman of BOI, being then the director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

P-Noy’s ‘alternative truth’ slammed

Meanwhile, the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay and other lawmakers yesterday slammed the President’s disclosure of an alleged “alternative truth” to the Mamasapano operation. 

“We have a Filipino word for alternative truth: palusot (excuse),” said Rico Quicho, Binay’s spokesman for political affairs.

“There’s only a single truth, and that is the SAF engaged in a dangerous mission who until now have not yet been given justice,” he added. – With Helen Flores, Marvin Sy, Paolo Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe