Cayetano calls on presidential, VP candidates to inhibit from SAF 44 probe

MANILA, Philippines - Vice presidential aspirant and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday called on his fellow senators running for president and vice president in the May polls to inhibit themselves from the reopened probe into the Mamasapano incident.

Cayetano told reporters at a press conference in Taguig City that the probe which will start on Monday, should be objective.

Cayetano added he would not personally participate in the reopened probe and would only send his questions in writing.

“I made an earlier announcement that I would like to avoid hearings where we could be accused of being partisan because nga kandidato na kami,” he said.

Cayetano said Sen. Grace Poe and her running mate Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero should inhibit themselves from the reopened probe as they are candidates in May polls.

“And that is why dapat si Sen. Grace at si Sen. Chiz at yung ibang mga senador, yung sa Mamasapano, 24 naman tayo, so kung anim tayong tumatakbong vice president at president, pwede namang we ask our questions through writing. Kaysa sabihin na ginagamit natin for publicity at kahit ano, sasabihin mo dun,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cayetano questioned Poe’s objectivity in participating in the reopened probe into the Mamasapano incident that left dead 44 police commandos of the Special Action Force 18 fighters of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and five civilians.

Cayetano said Poe had signed the Senate’s committee report on the incident that found President Benigno Aquino III liable.

“Pumirma na siya (Poe) ng committee report na liable ang presidente. So kung bubuksan mo ang hearing, meron na syang decision dun eh. This is what I have been pointing out sa ating mga mamamayan. Ang Poe-Chiz tandem, ay may galing at puso pero inconsistent. ‘Pag sa iba inhibit kayo. ‘Pag kami, okay,” he said.

“I am very concerned about the hearing next week because we always aim na ma-resolve ito and we get to the bottom of the truth. We owe it to the whole PNP (Philippine National Police) and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) na nagbuwis ng buhay nila. Remember, may mga pinatay na mga BIFF. We owe it to them na objective yung hearing,” Cayetano added.

Cayetano also urged his fellow senators not to use the reopened probe on the Mamasapano incident just to gain media mileage especially with the official campaign period starting next month.

“So kung ito ay bubuhayin at gagamitin just because gusto mo yung news na sa iyo, mabigat yun. Nagtatataka nga ako dahil July ko pa pinabubuksan yan. July hanggang December hindi ako pinansin. Biglang nung pagdating na malapit na ang election, bubuhayin ito,” he said.

“I want to repeat my appeal sa mga kasamahan ko. If we want to honor the 44, if we want to honor the SAF, let us make these hearings non-partisan and honest to goodness. Our presence there will affect it. Pabayaan na natin yung mga hindi kandidato as president and vice president na ituloy ang hearing na ito,” Cayetano added.

Poe earlier announced the Senate would reopen the Mamasapano probe on Monday, citing the need of some lawmakers, including Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, to clarify some issues.

Enrile said he has information different from the details established during the first Senate hearings. He said he gathered new evidence from some survivors, whom he met during his confinement in the PNP General Hospital at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Enrile was placed under hospital arrest on graft charges for the pork barrel scam pending before the Office of the Ombudsman. He later managed to post bail.

Poe had said the reopening of inquiry would not affect the previous findings under Committee Report No. 120 which found Aquino “ultimately responsible” for the deaths of the 44 police commandos.

Almost 400 police commandos had swooped down before dawn in the operation to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” and local confederate Basit Usman in the remote village of Mamasapano in Maguindanao on January 25 last year.

But after killing Marwan, the SAF commandos were ambushed by heavily armed Muslim rebels and villagers.

A total of 44 police commandos were killed and 12 others were wounded in the attack. Eighteen rebels and five civilians were also killed.