President Rodrigo Duterte wants to reinvestigate the Mamasapano clash, which left around 70 Filipinos dead and derailed the peace negotiations with Moro rebels.
“In the days ahead, I will order the opening of that issue again. Not really to prosecute people but just to know what happened,” Duterte said during the Philippines-China Trade and Investment Forum last Thursday.
Duterte said he would like to know where the $5-million reward for tipsters who helped security forces track down high-profile terrorists went. The president also has questions about the details of the operation, which was kept secret even from some Cabinet and police officials.
Police Special Action Force troopers managed to kill international Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, in the January 2015 operation. Abdul Basit Usman, another target of the SAF operation, was killed in May that year by Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters.
“(Was) the tip of the finger of (wanted terrorist) Marwan (taken) by the Special Forces of United States or was it really brought to the forensic division here in Crame?” the president said.
It was established in separate investigations by the Senate, House of Representatives as well as by a police board that Marwan's finger was given to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for DNA matching with his brother Rahmat, who is in US custody.
“These are the lies that are imposed upon the people, which is not good. Let us go for the truth. Let it out. Never mind about corruption. Too late in the day,” the president added.
Forty-four members of the Special Action Force were slain in a lopsided clash against lawless groups and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25, 2015.
The elite policemen entered the MILF community to capture wanted terrorists Marwan and his Filipino lieutenant Usman.
The law enforcement operation went awry as it led to a bloody encounter that claimed the lives of 44 SAF troopers and 18 MILF fighters. Civilians -- reports on the number killed vary -- were also caught in the clash.
At the same event, Duterte cited the heroism of the 44 fallen police officers to take a jab at the United States, which has raised concerns over his anti-drug war.
“America is really checkmated here. It is not ready for war because they are not ready to die anymore. And you can see it when the Special Forces go home, there’s a lot of crying and criticism and a congressman talking there, filibustering about the loss of an American life,” Duterte said.
“Filipinos, if you want to go to war, go. As long as it is really the desire of the nation, to protect itself. Forty-four Mamasapano soldiers, they went inside, they died. No dramatics, no nothing except that we grieve for our soldiers,” he added.
The Special Action Force is a police unit.
The post Duterte Wants Reinvestigation of Mamasapano Clash appeared first on The Philippine Star.
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