MANILA, Philippines - Congressmen are planning to invite President Aquino to their hearings on the Mamasapano incident on April 7 and 8.
Rep. Carol Jane Lopez of party-list group You Against Corruption and Poverty yesterday said she and colleagues from the minority bloc would ask the hearing committees to extend an invitation to Aquino.
“It’s better that the President clarify and tell all he knows about the police operation in Mamasapano. The people, his bosses, want to hear from him. They are not satisfied with his previous explanations,” Lopez said in a radio interview.
Malacañang, for its part, said the President is willing to cooperate with the House of Representatives’ investigation into the Mamasapano incident.
Officials, however, did not say whether Aquino’s personal appearance at the House is needed, given the separation of powers among the three branches of government.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Aquino did comply with a Senate request for him to submit his exchange of text messages with then suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima with regard to Oplan Exodus, or the operation to arrest two top terrorists in Maguindanao.
Valte said the President – through Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. – “gave his consent to a request from the Senate concerning the release of transcriptions of the text message conversations between him and Gen. Purisima” in the early hours of Jan. 25, “in keeping with upholding the dignity of the office and maintaining the principle of separation of powers and respect for a co-equal branch of government.
“We therefore leave it to the responsible members of Congress to arrive at a methodology that will aid their investigation, bearing in mind that the inquiry should remain focused on its primary mission: to uncover the truth,” Valte said.
In this manner, the process would not be abused by those who might be inclined to take advantage of the occasion to advance personal motives, she said.
“The pursuit of justice must be defined by a strong commitment to the truth. President Aquino has been unwavering in his support for truth seeking regarding the Mamasapano incident, and encourages any action that would contribute to arriving at the truth at the soonest possible time,” Valte said.
Philstar
