MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday confirmed that the recorded audio allegedly received by a retired police general through e-mail was his conversation with Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP) Secretary Teresita Deles.
“It’s really our conversation,” Marcos said.
Marcos disclosed that the conversation took place when Deles met him right after the Mamasapano clash between the Philippine National Police Special Action Force and Moro rebels which included the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on January 25 last year. He said the conversation happened inside the Senate with at least 50 people in the room.
The senator said they have no idea who recorded the conversation.
”We don’t’ know who did the recording because our office that the time was open, everybody comes and goes,” Marcos said.
Marcos said the recording of his conversation with Deles was unauthorized.
”Nobody told them to do it. I did not allow them to do it nor asked permission to do it. So, it was unauthorized,” Marcos said.
The audio recording of a supposed plot to whitewash the Mamasapano tragedy was allegedly received by retired police Chief Superintendent Diosdado Valeroso.
Asked if there was an attempt to cover up the Mamasapano incident to avoid implication with the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), Marcos responded that the public is free to conclude what they heard on the audio.
”Essentially, what happened was we must, whatever happened, we need to continue the deliberation of the BBL. Like I said the recording is still online. So people can come to their own conclusion,” Marcos said.
Despite admission, both Deles and Marcos released statements denying that they were plotting whitewash and cover-ups.
"I have said this before and I will say this again, those allegations of whitewash and cover-ups are false. It was a disservice then, as it is a disservice now to our people to mislead, confuse and lie to them," Deles said.
"The claim doing the rounds in social media that OPAPP Secretary Teresita “Ging” Deles saw me in my office on January 26, the day after the Mamasapano incident, to whitewash the investigation is definitely not true. There could not even be any suggestion of a whitewash because there was no investigation yet at that time,” Marcos said.
Marcos also made the same denial on Feb. 15, 2015. He said Deles briefed him to explain what happened on the ground after the Senate committee hearing on constitutional amendments chaired by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago was held.
The senator added that he and Deles discussed the BBL as the OPPAP Secretary was clarifying his pronouncement that of suspension of BBL hearings until the truth on the the death of the SAF 44 is revealed.
“During our conversation, there were many other people present in the room as I normally have streams of visitors, including my staff and those of OPPAP. I reiterated my full support in seeking a peaceful settlement with our Bangsamoro people but stressed that we must learn lessons from the Mamasapano incident,” Marcos concluded.
Meanwhile, as the Mamasapano probe reopens at the Senate on Wednesday, Marcos is leaving up the decision to Senate committee on public order chair Sen. Grace Poe, if she will allow discussion on the audio recording.
Senate President Franklin Drilon said the audio recording was unauthorized and is not allowed to be used in the Mamasapano inquiry due to the anti-wiretapping law.
Marcos said it’s up to Poe to discuss the audio recording at the reopening of the Mamasapano probe on Wednesday.
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