MANILA, Philippines – The President of the Philippines is set to address the nation on Wednesday, January 28, 3 days after a clash between elite cops and Muslim rebels killed dozens from the government side in Maguindanao.

On Tuesday Malacañang announced a “Message to the Nation” as part of President Benigno Aquino III’s schedule for Wednesday. It did not mention what the topic of the address would be.

Asked if the message would be on the Maguindanao incident, Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said, “It is likely he will discuss that.”

The address is set for 6:30 pm.

In the past, Aquino delivered national addresses to alert the country on the pending Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, and to defend the administration’s controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program in 2014.

The bloody clash on Sunday, January 25, between the Special Action Forces (SAF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), led to the deaths of at least 44 cops – the most deadly for the SAF in recent history.

Some 392 SAF commandos entered Mamasapano town in Maguindanao, a known bailiwick of the MILF. They were targeting two “high value targets,” one of them alleged Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as “Marwan.” (READ: Dead or alive? Top terrorist was cops’ target)

The incident occurred less than a year after the MILF signed a landmark peace deal with the Philippine government, and as lawmakers deliberate on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which seeks to create an autonomous region initially headed by the MILF.

Push for Bangsamoro law

On Monday, Malacañang said Aquino had been taking the news with “logic and objectivity.” It also defended the peace process amid calls to abandon it following what the government has tagged as a “misencounter” with the other party in the peace talks.

In his message on Wednesday, Aquino is expected to continue pushing for the BBL, which has been hailed by the administration as one of its biggest achievements.

In 2011, the deaths of 19 soldiers in Al-Barka, Basilan, resulted in public outcry and mourning. Back then, Aquino resisted numerous calls to declare war against the MILF and break a ceasefire that had been in place since 2008.

Today, with a peace process moving, it is more unlikely Aquino would declare war despite some parties withdrawing their support of the BBL.

So far, two senators have withdrawn as authors of the proposed BBL, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, because of the incident.

‘Long-term peace’

On Tuesday, Coloma also reacted negatively  to the decision of some lawmakers to withdraw support for the law, hinting at Aquino’s mindset.

“While recognizing the challenges posed by the violent incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, it is important to keep in mind the vital objective of attaining long-term peace, stability and progress in Mindanao,” he said in a statement.

“Those who have expressed reservations about supporting the enactment of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law may wish to consider the adverse consequences of not pursuing the peace process, such as a possible return to the old order characterized by ‘warlordism,’ lawlessness, misuse of public funds and the near-total breakdown of governance.”

Presidential Adviser to the Peace Process, Secretary Teresita Deles, likewise appealed to members of Congress to continue supporting the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. 

“It is our duty not only to those who have fallen in Mamasapano, but to all the lives which have been sacrificed over the decades, and to the yet unborn generation of Filipinos to pursue justice and peace. To sacrifice both will be to jeopardize the future of our nation and throw away what we have achieved over the years,” Deles said. 

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda also told reporters that “the President has instructed the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) and PNP (Philippine National Police) to study all options to honor the fallen heroes of the Mamapasano Incident.”

Commission on Human Rights Chair Loretta Ann Rosales welcomed the government’s move to probe the incident.  She said the “principle of accountability” must be emphasized in cases such as this.

He said a Board of Inquiry has been established “to look into the facts and circumstances of the Mamasapano incident.”

A day before the President gave such order, the PNP had announced that the slain SAF members would be given full police honors. – Rappler.com