MILF chief negotiator says no to reopening of Mamasapano probe, sees slimmer chance of BBL passage

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 25): MILF chief negotiator says no to reopening of Mamasapano probe, sees slimmer chance of BBL passage

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal on Monday thumbed down the reopening of the Mamasapano probe, a year after the ill-fated operation.

The MILF chief negotiator is not in favor of the Senate reopening its investigation on the Jan. 25 Mamasapano incident, scheduled Jan. 27, saying that it is already a "closed case."

"It is a closed case as far as the MILF is concerned. We have already conducted an official investigation and now our investigation team had come up with an official report," Iqbal told reporters on the sidelines of the launching of a historic publication named "Journey to the Bangsamoro."

"For us, we do not want to revive the animosities, hatred, emotions of the relative of the fallen SAF commandos and MILF combatants," Iqbal added.

Although he respects the prerogative of the Senate to reopen the case, Iqbal said that he will "politely turn down" invitations to attend the probe.

Further, the chief negotiator noted that justice should be for all rather than selective.

"To have real justice, it has to be applied to all. It's not only the SAF Commanders who had left their widows and children and all other dependents, but even the MILF combatants also left their widows, their parents, their children and relatives," Iqbal stressed.

To recall, 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force, 17 MILF members and five innocent civilians were killed in the Mamasapano clash.

"For the SAF commandos and for the MILF, although it was an unfortunate incident, that is expected in war," the chief negotiator said, noting that it was part of the whole struggle.

Iqbal, however, stressed that the civilians who died during the encounter deserve more justice for they have nothing to do with the conflict.

As for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), Iqbal sees dimmer prospects for the political documents--the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro--to be translated into legal documents since the said bill is still pending in Congress.

"Chances are high that it will not pass at all," Iqbal said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=850143