In Photo: A Filipino Muslim displays a message during a rally at the Lower House to call for the passage of the Bangsamoro basic law (BBL) in southern Philippines on Tuesday in Quezon City. The BBL deliberation by the Lower House was postponed indefinitely, following the botched police operation to capture Malaysian terror suspect Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, which resulted in the killing of 44 elite police commandos.
JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday said the National Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Cybercrime Division will validate the authenticity of the six-minute video showing one of the 44 commandos of the National Police-Special Action Force (SAF) who were killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, being shot at close range.
This, as an emotion-choked National Police officer in charge on Wednesday blasted the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the “overkill” of the 44 SAF commandos.
Speaking during the House of Representatives hearing on the incident, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina demanded clear answers from the MILF, saying that even if the SAF did not coordinate with the MILF regarding its operation to arrest terror suspect Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, in Mamasapano, the Moro rebels should not have killed the elite policemen.
“I’m the OIC of National Police, no doubt we are in the peace process…we are peacekeepers. Walang may gusto ng katahimikan kundi kami. We seek for clear answers from the other party of the peace process. Ano ba itong overkill na ito na ginawa niyo sa mga tao ko?” Espina said, adding, “I seek answers for my people so that when my time comes and I have to face them, at least I can say something.”
Espina also said there were videos showing the brutal killing of a SAF commando by alleged members of the MILF and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), saying, “some of the killed policemen did not initially suffer any lethal wounds as they were hit in the foot.”
Supt. Rey Ariño, commander of the 55th Special Action Battalion, confirmed that the man in the video was a SAF member.
Moreover, Espina said the medico legal report was contrary to the statement of the MILF that the SAF commandos were the first to fire.
“[Iyong isa], binaril niya sa ulo, buhay na buhay pa ang tao. Iyong isa hinubaran niyo ng bulletproof [vest], binaril sa katawan niya, iyong isa 9-mm [ang tama] sa ulo niya, two fatal shots, hindi pwedeng nag-suicide ang tao. Close range, short firearm iyon,” Espina said.
De Lima ordered NBI Director Virgilio Mendez to authenticate the video, which shows an apparently wounded SAF commando being shot at point-black by unidentified armed men believed to be members of the MILF or the BIFF.
The video also shows several other armed men stripping fallen SAF commandos of their belongings while they lie prostrate on the ground.
De Lima believes the video could be “very important evidence” in the criminal cases being prepared by the government in connection with the killing of the SAF’s “Fallen 44.”
The SAF commando in the video has reportedly been identified by his relatives.
“If this is authentic, these are really barbaric acts that we cannot just allow to pass without holding the perpetrators accountable…. It’s an act of cruelty that cannot be justified by any circumstance,” de Lima told reporters.
“Acts of cruelty or acts of atrocity at any setting are condemnable, completely unacceptable and, therefore, must be dealt with severely by our laws, especially penal laws,” she stressed.
De Lima added that there are rules of conduct being followed in times of war or armed conflict.
She explained that the continuous firing at the SAF commando—who was already helpless and incapacitated—by the alleged MILF or BIFF men was a violation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) that is also punishable under the Revised Penal Code.
“Even if there is war or armed conflict, there are rules of conduct, and someone helpless should no longer be hurt or, much worse, killed…. At any setting, an act like that deserved to be condemned and must really meet the full force of our laws,” she added.
But, de Lima stressed that the public should wait for the NBI to authenticate the video.
Director Benjamin Magalong, head of the National Police’s Board of Inquiry, is already set to forward to her office copies of statements and pieces of evidence gathered in the board’s internal investigation.
De Lima earlier hinted that possible charges of multiple murder, homicide and other offenses could be filed against MILF members who figured in the clash with the SAF commandos sent to arrest international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, in Mamasapano town.
She said other possible cases could include serious physical injuries, direct assault, illegal possession of firearms, violation of Republic Act 9851 or crimes under IHL, obstruction of justice and others.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/de-lima-orders-nbi-to-authenticate-saf-carnage-video/
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