For more than a week since the massacre of the members of the Philippine National police Special Action Force, there has been an explosion of speculation on how and why it took place in comparison to a chilling dearth of accurate information. This situation is most unfortunate for in times like this we are likely to take regrettable actions.
To be sure, there have been announcements made from different agencies that they have organized corps of investigators with the sole objective of knowing the truth. As of yesterday morning, 6 groups already started digging facts and 2 others are still in the process of formation. While on one hand, it is good to know that many investigative bodies are trying to understand what really happened in Mamasapano, on the other hand, we cannot help but be apprehensive of possibly contrasting findings.
Even then, there are disturbing bits of information that need be clarified by all fact-finders. Let me put an emphasis on the word "bits" and I take it to mean small fragments of what may turn out to be critical angles. Personally, I have limited myself to the following: First, the prominent mention of a five million dollar reward for the head of an "international terrorist." Second, a foreign element was with the Special Action Force sent to enforce a warrant of arrest for the "terrorist." Third, a foreign intelligence agent died in the operation.
Here is my take on the first. A member of that SAF band who returned home was interviewed by a tv crew during the honoring of his fallen comrades. Maybe because the interviewing media personality was not interested in the policeman's name, it was not mentioned. In a seemingly reluctant language, he tried to project the image that he was not interested in the US$5 million. Neither were his fellow SAF members.
What caught my attention was the way the policeman opened up the topic. He was not asked about the reward! The interviewer probably did not have any inkling that such a huge amount of money was at stake. But, in declaring that they were in Mamasapano not for the five million dollars but to serve a judicial warrant, the policeman knew of the pot. He must have been told about it and that it could be given to whoever could make the arrest and that was why he talked about it. This angle must be clarified.
The second bit of information is, to me, more of unverified news. In fact, the source has become blurred that it may, eventually, be established as pure wild guess. But, it continues to circulate that there was a foreign operator who worked with SAF in enforcing the warrant of arrest. If so, by what authority did he join the SAF? Why should a foreigner be allowed to mingle, if not supervise, a purely internal security operation? Or if the reward was indeed true, was it this foreign element that dangled the money to our police? Whoever is investigating this Mamasapano incident has to ascertain if there was indeed this money because of the possibility that the greed for this reward might have made officials take unnecessary risks.
Is it true that a foreign intelligence agent died with the 44 fallen policemen? This is my third concern. Of course we are somewhat informed of an intelligence protocol. Accordingly, if a foreigner is in a covert mission offshore, he will never be identified. His own government does not admit any knowledge of the operation, much less acknowledge its participation. Certainly, it will, in many ways, deny sending him to such an unspeakable venture. Thus, I shudder at the thought that if indeed a foreigner died in Mamasapano, his anonymity could be the worst form of injustice to him and his family.
Apart from the three that I have taken the liberty to write about, there are many other questions to be answered and answered as soon as possible. In front of these questions is a call addressed to His Excellency President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III to relinquish power. Any delay in unraveling the truth will stoke the fire for his resignation.