Malacañang yesterday is on the defensive to remedy the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) failure to charge suspects for the deaths of the nine other Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) troopers who perished in the cruel Mamasapano incident in Maguindanao last Jan. 25.
Deputy
presidential spokesman Abigail Valte said President Aquino ordered that the
charges be filed upon gaining evidence, which prompted the DoJ to allow the
process to start immediately despite the lack of suspects for the nine SAF
commandos.
Still, the Palace official said that this does not mean that there will be no more charges in the future, noting that the Mamasapano case remains open. Her statement contradicts the earlier statement of President Aquino himself who proclaimed that case is closed on the issue.
“What I understand is that process is ongoing but we needed, as the President
said we file cases when there is enough evidence. It does not close the
opportunity that in the future there will be more evidence against other people
who are not among those named respondents,” Valte said at a Palace briefing.
“I don’t think they consider the case closed in the sense that there is a possibility of new evidence or witnesses coming up. That being said, we need to let the process push through with regard to those who had already been identified and with standing evidence,” the Palace official added.
She said the Palace would defer the statement for the Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to give, particularly on who may still face charged. De Lima had earlier stated that there is no suspect present because there are no witnesses to point at the supposed killers of the remaining SAF troopers.
Valte also warned those allegedly targeting the DoJ for the failing to charge suspects, noting that they should not take advantage of the bereaved families by politicizing the incident.
“Again (saying that it is) a failure to file charges against perpetrators is a
blanket because we have seen the list of respondents and sooner or later their
participation will be revealed,” she said. “In any case, we will see that if
there are those using it to push for political agenda, but we wish they stop.”
She added: Let us not add to the burden of the families by continuing to use their loved ones for political agenda.
About 90 individuals had already been charged by the Justice department over the Mamasapano incident, which lead to the death of 65 people including 44 SAF commandos, 16 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and five civilians.
Discussions on the Mamasapano incident resurfaced following President Aquino’s fielding of an “alternative version” of the incident, putting to question his trust for the SAF commandos that survived the botched Oplan Exodus.
Now, the Senate is seeking to revive debates on the incident, as it was unable to emphasize and meet the initial objective of the Mamasapano probe in the Upper Chamber which is to create legislation regarding the matter.
President Aquino, who has been tagged as ultimately responsible” for the failed operations, got the lowest ranking yet in trust, confidence, approval and satisfaction following the Mamasapano incident.
He put then suspended PNP Director Alan Purisima in the loop of the operation despite orders of the Ombudsman. The sacked police chief was a close friend to Aquino.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/mamasapano-case-not-closed-others-may-still-be-charged
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