The MILF's Mohagher Iqbal hugs Acting PNP chief Gen. Leonardo Espina, who earlier made an impassioned plea for justice for 44 Special Action Force members who battled Moro rebels in the course of a mission to get international terrorist Marwan. BERNARD TESTA, INTERAKSYON.COM
In an unprecedented gesture, acting National Police Chief Deputy Director Leonardo Espina accepted the apology given by Bangsamoro Transition Commission chairman Mohagher Iqbal for the deaths of 44 Special Action Force members who battled Moro rebels in the course of a mission to get international terrorist Marwan.“Katulad noong pamilya, ano ho ba ang gusto nilang mahanap [Like a family, what do we want], so we’ll have a good perspective of what justice are we really seeking? Kaya nga ho iyan, malamang ho ang katotohanan [And certainly, what we all desire is the truth],” Espina said in response to Iqbal's expression of apology over the Jan. 25 incident.
“Masakit iyon sa amin - ang pagkamatay ng SAF,” Iqbal told Espina after the third Senate hearing Thursday on what really happened in the SAF mission to serve judicial warrants on Marwan (real name: Zulkifli bin Hir) and his Filipino cohort, bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman, in a marshy village where "control" by various armed groups - including that of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that is in peace talks with government - could be obscured.
“Kaya nga ho kailangan ng independent investigation para makita natin [That is why an independent investigation is needed so we can all see what happened],” Iqbal added.
Espina asserted that once truth has been known, the perpetrators should face the bar of justice and punished. There have been calls to consider the killings of the SAF - who were on a legitimate law enforcement mission to capture a "high-value target" - as simple crimes, especially after videos became viral showing some of the wounded SAF members were "finished off" by armed men, presumably MILF members. The rebel group said, however, that has not been established; it noted that its breakaway faction, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and other private armed groups were also on the scene, firing at the 84th Special Action Company which was the attack force that went to Marwan's hut, and the 55th SAC, the blocking force which bore the brunt of the fatalities.
Espina told Iqbal: “If the truth is known through an investigation, any one found to have done wrong and killed should be held liable. That is the sum of our demand."
“We seek justice for our people; iyon sa inyo din sana maging ganoon din [I hope your side also get the same],” Espina added. Earlier on Wednesday, Espina wept openly while reporting on the initial batch of medico-legal reports, mostly indicating that injuries suffered by some SAF members were not life-threatening, but that they were "finished off" with close-contact firing at the head, or in the body after being stripped of bulletproof vests.
When he made his first appearance Thursday after snubbing the first two, MILF’s Iqbal said, “The peace process is important to us and to everybody. It has brought us the promise of a good life for our people — free from fear, want and discrimination. It contains our hopes and our dreams—if not for us, for our children. We have waited for this opportunity for 17 years. We seek your help in making this possible.”
At the Senate Thursday, Espina thanked Iqbal for attending the hearing, noting that his appearance gave some assurance to the families of the fallen commandos that the MILF side is serious about learning the truth and owning up to whatever wrong may have been done.
“We can no longer bring back those against whom injustice was done. But it's good that Chairman Iqbal is here" because that sends a positive signal to the victims' families, Espina said.
He noted that while the SAF had 44 fatalities, the MILF side, too, bore 18 deaths.
“We have to be both together here in seeking justice for our people. I hope yours also get justice,” Espina concluded.
Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe, who has presided at past three hearings of the joint Senate committees, assured the public that the Senate probers will wade through all the testimonies to seek answers to vital issues hounding the Mamasapano operation.
“I repeat, the three committes are determined to separate fact from speculation here, and will seriously seek the truth - no matter who gets hurt," Poe stressed.
The Senate committees on public order, on peace and reconciliation, and on finance have vowed to ensure that all sides and information crucial to the determination of the truth arre taken into account in the committee report.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/104965/espina-accepts-iqbal-apology-for-saf-44-deaths-both-seeking-truth-at-mamasapano
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