Senate upheld Maguindanao Mamasapano massacre reinvestigation at plenary

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Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs. H/T Youtube photo grab.

The memory of the Maguindanao Mamasapano incident which resulted in the massacre of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) unit of the Philippine National Police is not forgotten, it seems.

On Monday the Philippine senate upheld previous ruling to reopen the Mamasapano incident investigation based on “new matters” that Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile will bring out.

At the resumption of the regular session, Senate chairperson on public order and dangerous drugs chairperson Senator Grace Poe took the floor to confirm whether the body was indeed favorable to the reopening of the Mamasapano hearing.

Poe clarified that Section 32 of the Committee on Rules that any reopening of the investigation will be made provided “new matters” will be raised.

Enrile said the bloody encounter that took the lives of 44 SAF troopers should be reinvestigated, saying he has evidence that prompted him to ask for reopening of the inquiry.

With Enrile’s manifestation, the Senate voted to push through with the reopening of the Mamasapano probe on Jan. 27.

Senate President Franklin Drilon abstained, “reserving my right because this is precedent setting.”

”I want to have that ability to review and examine and not to be bound by this interpretation,” Drilon said, referring to the interpretation of the Section 32 of the Committee on Rules.

Drilon said he would participate in the hearing “because I participated before.”

Poe’s Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs previously conducted five public hearings and five executive hearings which was used to prepare committee report submitted on March 18, 2015.

The lady senator vowed not to grandstand or politicize the reopening of the probe. (PNA / Jelly F. Musico)

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