PNP-SAF protection, ISIS beheads hostages, Mayweather-Pacquiao | The wRap

Today on Rappler

• Members of the police’s Special Action Force say they need government’s support too.
• ISIS claims it beheaded another Japanese hostage. *Editor’s note: We had earlier used the phrase “Japanese journalist.” Only the second hostage was a journalist, the first one executed was Haruna Yukawa, a private contractor. We apologize for this.
• The latest on the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight: Floyd says there’s no deal yet.

SAF TROOPER: WE NEED GOVERNMENT PROTECTION TOO
The survivors of the bloody clash with Muslim rebels in southern Philippines speak up a week after the carnage.
On Sunday Interior Secretary Mar Roxas met with the Special Action Force at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
Senior Inspector Michael Melloria remembers the words of Senior Inspector John Eraña who was killed in Maguindanao.

S/INSP MICHAEL MELLORIA, SPECIAL ACTION FORCE: Sabi ko sa sarili ko, there is no glory in this country. This country is not worth dying for kung yung gobyerno natin, hindi kami kayang protektahan as a warrior, sir. Kasi kailangan din namin ng proteksyon ng gobyerno.

(I told myself there is no glory in this country. This country is not worth dying for if the government can’t protect us as a warrior, sir. We also need the protection of the government.)

On Monday, Philippine lawmakers file a bill creating a truth commission mandated to investigate the clash.
Senator TG Guingona says a commission should determine if trust was violated by both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which signed a peace deal last year.

TG GUINGONA, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: This boils to the very core of the peace agreement, which is trust. Tiwala sa isa’t isa. (Trust for each other.)

This will only be resolved if alam ng mga tao ang katotohanan. (This will only be resolved if people know the truth.)

ABALOS ACQUITTED IN 2ND ELECTORAL SABOTAGE CASE
Former Commission on Elections or Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr was acquitted in another election lawsuit, his second and last poll sabotage case.
A Pasay Court clears Abalos of two counts of electoral sabotage in North Cotabato during the 2007 midterm elections.
Abalos was accused of giving instructions to manipulate votes to ensure victory for the Arroyo administration’s senatorial candidates.
However, Judge Jesus Mupas rules, “it was not sufficiently established that these subsequent instructions came from Abalos.”
He adds, the conspiracy with Abalos “cannot be established beyond reasonable doubt.”

ISIS CLAIMS BEHEADING OF 2ND JAPANESE HOSTAGE, IRAQI SECURITY
Jihadist group ISIS or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria said in a video over the weekend, it beheaded a second Japanese hostage, journalist Kenji Goto.
A visibly upset Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to “never forgive the terrorists.”
ISIS also claimed Sunday it beheaded an Iraqi police officer and a soldier but the authenticity of the photos released could not be independently confirmed.

MAYWEATHER DAMPENS HOPE THAT PACQUIAO FIGHT IS CLOSE
Sorry, boxing fans – the fight of the year is not a done deal.
Floyd Mayweather claims Pacquiao’s team is lying that the long awaited fight is sure to happen.
In his Instagram account Mayweather posts a photo of himself by the beach with the caption “While they continue to lie about making the fight I’m just going to continue to travel and explore the world on my private jet.”
He punctuates it with the hashtag #FightNotMadeYet.
Mayweather’s announcement comes a day after Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum said a deal was near.

ACTOR CUMBERBATCH BACKS HISTORIC PARDON FOR BRITISH GAY MEN
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch is among some 75,000 people to sign a petition urging pardon for all gay men convicted of indecency in Britain.
An open letter published in the Guardian urged Prince William and his wife Catherine to step in to make the case for a blanket pardon for the 49,000 men.
Cumberbatch plays the lead role in the movie “The Imitation Game” about a master code breaker convicted for being a homosexual.
Other famous signatories include British actor and comedian Stephen Fry and the director of “The Imitation Game” Morten Tyldum.

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Production Staff