MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis Pangilinan, campaign manager of the opposition senatorial slate Otso Diretso, clarified that charges have been filed against several individuals believed to be responsible for the death of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in 2015 as he urged President Duterte to move forward and “don’t sound like a broken record.”
Pangilinan issued the statement after President Duterte accused opposition senatorial candidate Mar Roxas of wasting the lives of the 44 police commandos who died in the Mamasapano clash four years ago.
“The matter has been investigated by the Senate. Charges have been filed and the courts are now handling the matter,” said Pangilinan.
“Let’s allow the judicial processes to proceed and give the persons involved their day in court. That is where accountability is ultimately determined,” he added.
“If we act like a broken record, we will not be able to move forward and attend to the real issues at hand,” Pangilinan added.
Roxas and then Philippine National Police chief Leonardo Espina had claimed they were not aware of the SAF’s plan to conduct an operation in the MILF lair.
Pangilinan said raising the matter anew is pure and simple politicking, and a means to avoid important and pressing issues affecting the Filipinos such as poverty, lack of opportunities, indignation over China’s aggression and corruption hounding many of the administration candidates.
He said the public should remain vigilant and not be misled by these diversionary tactics meant to confuse and keep voters from scrutinizing the administration’s failures and their candidates’ track records.
Human rights lawyer and Otso Diretso senatorial candidate Chel Diokno shrugged off President Duterte’s tirades and said his record speaks for itself as he outlined his plans for reforming the justice system during a townhall meeting with lawyers and senatorial bets last Friday.
Diokno was asked for comment on Duterte’s claim that he had done nothing for the country at the sidelines of the townhall, which was organized by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Philippine Bar Association and the Association of Law Students of the Philippines.
“I think my record speaks for itself, and I have helped many people in need. I have set many precedents in the Supreme Court like the (writ of) amparo and other cases I have handled that let’s just say helped many,” he said in Filipino.
Asked if the attacks meant the President thinks he has a chance of breaking into the Top 12 in the senatorial elections, Diokno just thanked Duterte for giving him free airtime and discussed plans to level the playing field for candidates.
Otso Diretso senatorial candidate Florin Hilbay and girlfriend actress Agot Isidro hit back at President Duterte yesterday, reminding the Chief Executive that gender has nothing to do with one’s integrity.
In a statement, Hilbay said he is straight even as he slammed the President for his supposed bigotry.
“His (Duterte’s) display of bigotry is the reason why people choose to hide in the shadows, living in fear, instead of accepting their personal truth,” the 44-year-old Hilbay said.
In a speech on Tuesday, the President said Hilbay is “gay” and a “mistake” by God. He also said Hilbay is a “bully” and had done nothing as a solicitor general.
Hilbay challenged Duterte to show courage by telling China to leave the Philippines’ territory and stop extracting natural resources there.
He also dared the President to stop the entry of illegal Chinese workers into the country and the alleged involvement of his allies and son in the illegal drug trade.
“President Duterte accused me of being a coward and not true to myself, but he’s the one who has a record of using lies to silence critics and to escape his inability to answer the issues affecting our people,” he said. – Helen Flores