Poe told: peace process not yet dead

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Most senators may have signed Senator Grace Poe’s committee report on the Mamasapano tragedy, but at least two of them questioned its conclusions on the peace process.

Senators Juan Edgardo Angara and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV disagreed with the report’s statement that the peace process with the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was a “casualty” of the deadly encounter.

“It’s premature to say that the peace process is a casualty. If you are not aware of the peace process, it seems from the statement that it is already over. The [proposed] Bangsamoro Basic Law may have lost support in Congress, but to say that it’s finished is too early,” Angara told reporters on Monday, March 23.

Angara said that the issue will be part of his 2- to 3-page separate opinion to be submitted in May, detailing the parts of the report he agrees with and dissents with. Even if Poe released the draft report last week, senators continue to discuss and debate over its contents, which will be presented before plenary in May. The report is still subject to amendments. (READ: FULL TEXT: Senate report on Mamasapano)

Angara also agreed with the stand of Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson Etta Rosales questioning the Senate report’s use of the term “massacre” to refer to the encounter between elite cops and Moro rebels in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, onJanuary 25.

“There were elements of a massacre, but when you say it’s a massacre, it’s like the firefight was not fair. It’s as if there were two disproportionate forces that did not engage in a fight. It’s not the term I would use. I would have used ‘encounter with execution,’” Angara said.

The senator though urged the CHR to also look into the human rights violations of the armed men who shot the wounded Special Action Force (SAF) troopers at close range, as stated in the autopsy report. (READ: 27 SAF troopers shot in the head – initial report)

Over the weekend, Rosales criticized the Senate report’s characterization of the encounter as “excessive,” saying it trivialized how the MILF approached the peace process.

Poe, head of the Senate public order committee, defended her panel’s report but said she was open to feedback from the CHR.

“The attribution of massacre refers to the use of excessive force and ignominy which attended the finishing touches (sic) inflicted on the SAF troopers when they were already gravely injured but breathing as they lay defenseless on the Mamasapano cornfields,” Poe said on Monday.

She added: “A contrary view of the CHR chairman notwithstanding, we welcome her submission of the CHR report on its own investigation on the incident, which may still be considered [in the] amendments.”

 

Escudero stood by the use of the word “massacre.” He said human rights applies not just to civilians but also to the military and the police.

 

“If a civilian is hurt, there is immediately a human rights violation. When it’s the military or the police, the CHR is quiet.

Escudero stood by the use of the word “massacre.” He said human rights applies not just to civilians but also to the military and the police.

“If a civilian is hurt, there is immediately a human rights violation. When it’s the military or the police, the CHR is quiet. Human rights should always be respected under any circumstances that is why I am extremely disappointed that the CHR seems to have a tunnel vision about who abuses and who should be protected,” Escudero said.

 

Poe’s committee led the Senate inquiry into the operation to arrest international terrorists in Mamasapano. The commandos were unable to withdraw as MILF rebels, the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and other armed groups blocked their exit, and engaged them in a daylong firefight. The clash killed 67 Filipinos: 44 SAF troopers, 18 MILF members, and 5 civilians.

The Senate concluded that the so-called Oplan Exodus was “poorly planned and executed” and “had badges of failure from the start.” (READ: BOI: Oplan Exodus defective, ‘heavily influenced by Napeñas’)

The Mamasapano clash is the biggest controversy to hit the Aquino administration, and put in peril the government’s peace process with the MILF after 17 years of negotiations. The operation was not coordinated with the MILF despite existing mechanisms under the peace process.

The police Board of Inquiry (BOI) released its own report into the incident, while the CHR, the MILF, and the House of Representatives have yet to wrap up their probes and issue their findings.

‘Still unclear if MILF coddled terrorists’

Senator Aquino said he too will try to amend the Senate report’s conclusions on the peace process and the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Known as BBL, the bill aims to create an expanded region in Muslim Mindanao with greater powers and resources to help end 4 decades of conflict and poverty.

“There were some lines in the report that made some conclusions regarding the BBL. For example, it said that the [government] peace panel was too optimistic. Or it said that the BBL was one of the casualties of Mamasapano. These are very categorical statements and I think it’s beyond the scope of the report,” Aquino said on ANC.

The Senate report said that the government peace panel must “stand for the government and not for the MILF,” and it suffered from “a wanton excess of optimism that blinded them to negotiate a fair agreement for the government.” (READ: Senate report says BBL unfair to government)

Angara also disagreed with another section of the report that concluded that “the first sin” in the Mamasapano incident is that “the MILF leadership and community allowed themselves to coddle criminals and terrorists.” Rosales also questioned this portion of the report.

The neophyte senator said this finding has yet to be established.

“It’s not yet clear if it were rogue elements of the MILF or the MILF itself that is dealing with terrorists while negotiating with the government,” Angara said. “That’s a matter that the [Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process] and the government must look into.”

An exclusive interview with MindaNews indicates that an active MILF unit engaged the SAF troopers on January 25.

Among the 11 Senate co-authors of the Bangsamoro bill, Angara and Aquino said they are still willing to work on the measure but with amendments.

Angara said he was concerned about funding for the Bangsamoro, the supposed separate police force, and the regional government’s relationship with other local government units. The peace panels have said that the Bangsamoro police will fall under the Philippine National Police, and is not a separate entity.

Senator Aquino said he does not want to “let go of the peace process.”

“I hope we can continue reminding everyone that come May, June, July, the discussion will be about BBL and maybe other alternatives,” he said.

‘Full payment, not installments from Aquino’

While Angara and Aquino both supported the Senate finding that held President Benigno Aquino III “ultimately responsible” for the mission, the two differed on how the President handled the issue.

Aquino reiterated that his cousin already owned up to the incident through public remarks on the issue.

 

Angara backed Poe’s statement that the President merely has political, not legal or criminal, responsibility for the debacle. The Senate report said that Aquino failed to prevent his close friend, resigned police chief Alan Purisima, from committing usurpation of authority in directing the operation even while suspended on corruption charges.

“I do not see any criminal violation such as failing to prevent usurpation of authority. I do not see any willful violation or criminal violation of the law,” said Angara, a lawyer.

The senator though said that the commander-in-chief could have better explained his involvement in the operation to the public.

“Sana huwag na installment pero full payment na,” Angara said (I hope he explains in full instead of in installments). – Rappler.com