Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday accused President Rodrigo Duterte of using the Mamasapano massacre to cover up a leadership "crisis."
De Lima made the statement after Duterte said he would form a top level fact-finding commission that would reopen the investigation on the Mamamasapano tragedy, which claimed the lives of more than 60 people, including 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF).
"The second anniversary of the Mamasapano incident is again being used by Duterte to divert attention from the crisis his current leadership is facing, rather than to actually give justice to the SAF and Muslim civilian victims of that armed encounter," De Lima said in a text message reporters.
De Lima said Duterte wants to "continuously demonize the past administration in order to cover up for his own lack of accomplishments and direction after six months into his term."
De Lima is a close ally and party mate of Duterte's predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino III.
It was under the Aquino administration when the operation was carried out in January 25, 2015 to neutralize Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan.
Duterte criticized Aquino saying he fed the SAF 44 to the "lion's den."
De Lima said any probe initiated by Duterte would be a "mere surplusage," the results of which will be doubted for his "obvious bias" against the Aquino administration.
"Any further probe on the Mamasapano incident is best conducted shorn of politics. Duterte is the least qualified in directing such a probe given his propensity for prejudgement and to preempt the results of any investigation, as he himself has already declared the Mamasapano police action as a CIA operation," De Lima added.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV echoed the sentiment of De Lima, saying a new commission to probe the Mamasapano massacre intends to deflect the failures of the Duterte administration. "Panglihis lang 'yan sa mga kapalpakan ng administrayon niya," Trillanes said in a text message.
De Lima made the statement after Duterte said he would form a top level fact-finding commission that would reopen the investigation on the Mamamasapano tragedy, which claimed the lives of more than 60 people, including 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF).
"The second anniversary of the Mamasapano incident is again being used by Duterte to divert attention from the crisis his current leadership is facing, rather than to actually give justice to the SAF and Muslim civilian victims of that armed encounter," De Lima said in a text message reporters.
De Lima said Duterte wants to "continuously demonize the past administration in order to cover up for his own lack of accomplishments and direction after six months into his term."
De Lima is a close ally and party mate of Duterte's predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino III.
It was under the Aquino administration when the operation was carried out in January 25, 2015 to neutralize Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan.
Duterte criticized Aquino saying he fed the SAF 44 to the "lion's den."
De Lima said any probe initiated by Duterte would be a "mere surplusage," the results of which will be doubted for his "obvious bias" against the Aquino administration.
"Any further probe on the Mamasapano incident is best conducted shorn of politics. Duterte is the least qualified in directing such a probe given his propensity for prejudgement and to preempt the results of any investigation, as he himself has already declared the Mamasapano police action as a CIA operation," De Lima added.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV echoed the sentiment of De Lima, saying a new commission to probe the Mamasapano massacre intends to deflect the failures of the Duterte administration. "Panglihis lang 'yan sa mga kapalpakan ng administrayon niya," Trillanes said in a text message.
Source: gmanetwork
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