Miriam shows her claws again

The resumption of the Mamasapano hearing at the Senate started on a lively note with the arrival of Sen. Miriam Santiago. True to form, the senadora from Iloilo provided some humor but more importantly, important jurisprudence and protocols that have been violated.

At the beginning it was baffling what her point was as she slammed former SAF Director Leo Napenas for what she too, called a massacre. The Miriam we know emerged, throwing questions and opinions one after another, not giving time for the resource persons to even answer and at times turning soft on Napenas.

It soon became clear that Miriam’s target was not the sacked SAF Director but resigned PNP Chief Alan Purisima and President Benigno Aquino III. She did not also spare MILF peace negotiator Chairman Iqbal and insisted that the other party violated the Geneva Convention in committing the alleged brutal execution of the SAF troopers despite evidence that they cannot fight back anymore.

But it was Purisima who took most of the flak from La Senadora who accused him of meddling in operations which he should not even be a part of due to his suspension. She cut Purisima off many times, denying the other to even reply to her questions.

If there is one thing that emerged in the Senate hearing yesterday was the failure of communication even among the higher ups to relay the incident to the President which begs more answers.

Were the generals and Cabinet officials afraid to know what the President’s reactions would be or the bigger question of no one bothered to inform him since he already knew what was happening on the ground?

If we recall, Purisima was asked more than a couple of times whether he informed the President at any time during that day and the former opted to seek executive privilege and would ask first the President on what communications between them he can reveal to the committee.

The fact that there was no outright denial from Purisima fuels perception that perhaps, the President actually knew of the operation and can be culpable for the death of the SAF 44, including the MILF and civilians who died in that incident.

After all, as the OPAPP insists, there are protocols and mechanics in place that should have been followed and if so, the President, if he knew of the operation and gave it a go-ahead through Purisima, violated that agreement.

What was so evident in yesterday’s hearing was the apparent indifference among our top brass, both in the AFP and the PNP but also more importantly DILG Sec. Mar Roxas and Defense Sec. Voltaire Gazmin to relay the message to the President.

If you follow the lines being thrown in both the Senate and Congress, all of them have been making their own judgment call, not just the SAF, but worse,  our cabinet officials in what to tell the President or not.

I have heard before that the President is a man who doesn’t want to hear any bad news from the ground, especially on something that he probably has a hand on. And this is tragic because Mar himself admitted that he received communication about Mamasapano early in the morning and the same with Gazmin,  yet, not one of them took it as an urgent thing to inform the President.

To them it was just another info texted to them like any other day and they would want more info before telling their superiors. There was no urgency and by the time the information was supposedly dished to the President, it was already past 5p.m and only after the ceasefire has been implemented but all 44 SAF were already dead.

Were they afraid of the President? None even bothered to leave the President and seek answers from the ground but rather joined him too in the rounds of hospital to visit the wounded in the Zambo bombing.

That indifference led to the death of the Fallen 44. But it cannot also be denied that again, maybe they did not have to inform the President who already knew of the incident. After all, he was presented with the Oplan before its execution.

If the generals and the cabinet officials, including Purisima,  think they are doing the President a favor, by shielding him from culpability in the Mamasapano massacre, the apparent reaction from the public is contrary to what they think.

More and more people are getting convinced that the President’s hand is written all over the botched operation but that he is just not man enough to admit it.

I feel sorry for Iqbal who knows that this incident, not to their liking, has fueled the public’s anger against the MILF and may jeopardize the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

The only way we can have a clear resolution to the matter is for an independent investigation body to look into the matter. A body that will not spare anyone, be it our government troopers, the MILF and even our President.

While I appreciate the Senate and Congress for hearing the matter, there’s just too much emotions and tension running. If there is one thing good about the televised hearing, it involves the public and we are made aware of the truth, no matter how ugly it is.

 Mamasapano has so divided the country and until the public is satisfied by the answers from our officials, that justice is given, not only to the Fallen 44 but to all other casualties in that incident, the elusive peace will continue to be that – elusive.*

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