Duterte scraps plan to create independent probe on Mamasapano

February 6, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday he will not create an independent body to investigate the botched anti-terrorist operations in Mamasapano, Maguindanao two years ago.

He said he will just allow the Office of the Ombudsman to continue with its own probe.

"I am not going ahead with the creation of the commission because apparently the Ombudsman has said it's (case) still pending before them," said Duterte in a speech during the Bureau of Internal Revenue-Large Taxpayers Service Tax Campaign kick off in Pasay City.

He said he wants to avoid "multiple incongruity" just in case these probing bodies would have different findings.

"I'll just wait (for the findings of the Ombudsman)," Duterte said.

The president, during his recent meeting with the families of those who were killed in the operation in Mamasapano on January 25, 2015, vowed to create a seven-man commission to investigate what really happened that resulted to the death of about 60 people, including 44 police commandos.

He even slammed former President Benigno Aquino III on how he handled the clandestine operation.

Duterte admitted that Aquino's youngest sister, television host Kris Aquino, sent him a text message, asking him not to allow the former president to be imprisoned.

He said he told Kris that he was not out to find people who should be put in jail. "I just want to know the truth...I am not into the habit of sending to prison guys on the other side of the political fence or whatever, " he said,

The president said he only has "single, solitary" question that needs to be answered, which is why the military failed to send any air asset to augment the members of the Special Action Force who conducted the assault. Celerina Monte/DMS