MANILA, Philippines – The President wants the full truth to come out, and there is no one covering up for him. 

This is the stance of Malacañang, when asked if Cabinet secretaries and military officials are covering up for President Benigno Aquino III on his role in the Mamasapano clash that killed 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos.

On Friday, February 13, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr denied any cover-up,  after at least one senator said it was hard to believe there was no higher-up who approved the operation.

“There is no cover-up. It is important for the truth to come out,” Coloma said.

He said that from the start, the President has been clear about his desire to   find out the whole truth. (READ: Timeline: Mamasapano clash)

“The position of the President is clear. Since the beginning, he has expressed the importance of knowing the full account of what happened and the truth on what happened in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province from January 24-25,” he said.

Coloma said the President has been consistent in this regard, and cited his public addresses on the incident – two national broadcasts, and his message to the families of the 44 slain elite cops at the necrological service in Camp Bagong Diwa on January 30.

“In every chance…he has repeated the principle that (the investigations) are part of delivering justice in the heroism of the SAF 44….So this is the position of our President, that he’s determined to find closure or full understanding of what happened, because this is an important aspect in finding justice for the heroes.”

Coloma also said the President has been completely honest in all his statements on the incident, adding “the President has not deviated from that principle” of tuwid na daan, or straight, and narrow path, the administration’s good governance tagline. (READ: 3 questions on Aquino’s Jan 25 Zamboanga trip)

On Thursday, senators grilled Cabinet secretaries from the security cluster on who told the President about the operation – only to be met with silence.

Aquino himself said on January 30 that he was getting reports on the operation from morning of January 25  but did not cite his source.

At the last Senate hearing, former top cop Director General Alan Purisima resrved comment when asked whether he reported to the President on what has happening in Mamasapano. He said he would first like “to seek clearance with the President to answer” the question.

Relieved SAF chief Police Director Getulio Napeñas had tagged Purisima as the “focal person” in the operations even if he was suspended at the time. Aquino too had said he only spoke to Purisima about “jargon,” denying that the former PNP chief, a close friend, was behind the operations.

Aquino has also denied giving the go-signal for the January 25 operation, while Napeñas and Purisima have admitted accountability – raising doubts among senators that there was no higher-up involved.

Aquino accepted Purisima’s resignation nearly two weeks after the clash.

‘Dont’t conculde from testimonies’

In the wee hours of January 25, some 392 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos entered Mamasapano town, a known bailiwick of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), to serve arrest warrants to top terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir, or Marwan and Abdul Basit Usman.

The operation resulted in a bloody clash between SAF troopers and rebel forces that claimed at least 65 lives, including 44 SAF troopers. The MILF blames this on the SAF team’s failure to coordinate with them, as provided in its agreement with the government on operations in known MILF territories. 

As details begin to come out – and contradict earlier statements – Malacañang again appealed to the public not to jump to conclusions and to just wait until the Board of Inquiry of the PNP, tasked to probe the incident, releases its report.

On the contradiction between Aquino’s statement that he knew about the firefight throughout the day while on a trip to Zamboanga City on January 25, and the statement of Cabinet members who were with him that they only told him at around 5 pm, Coloma said it is important to wait for all facts.

“We are not contradicting any statements that have been said or have been witnessed or heard by the public. All we’re saying is forming conclusions based on testimonies – and that’s all we’re suggesting – is that perhaps its not the right time to make those conclusions,” he said. – Rappler.com