Filtered By: Topstories
News

Where’s Marwan’s body? And other questions on the Mamasapano clash


As the Philippine National Police's Board of Inquiry goes deep into its investigation of the Mamasapano clash, and the Senate and the House is scheduled next week to conduct its own inquiries into the "misencounter," several questions bug the mind even after the Federal Bureau of Investigation in effect declared the mission a success after its DNA test confirmed the death of Zulkifli bin Hir, the suspected terrororist known as Marwan and the target of the operation.

Even the consecutive news conferences given by police and military officials as regards the Mamasapano clash have yet to answer these issues.
 
Who gave the go signal?
 
President Benigno Aquino III, during his address on the Mamasapano clash never answered the question directly, although Aquino he admitted knowing about the operation.
 
Overkill?
 
Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina was the first to ask among the top officials why the bodies of the police commandos seemed to have been mutilated. “Tinatanong ko lang bakit nabaril sa mukha 'yung ibang mga kasama ko. Tinatanong ko 'yan. Bakit overkill?”
 
 
 
RockEd Philippines founder Gang Badoy also shared the same sentiments and wondered why the rules of war were not followed during the encounter.
 
"How come the rules of war and the Geneva Convention were not followed? From the accounts of the lone SAF survivor, wounded SAF soldiers were summarily killed and the dead were not treated with respect," she said to GMA News Online.
 
Why were terrorists in MILF territory?
 
A South Cotabato resident named R Ueykey asked, “Why is the MILF/BIFF harboring international terrorists in their controlled area?”
 
"It seems odd that the Philippine Government is pursuing a peace agreement with the MILF yet we do not trust them in helping with our anti-terrorism campaign. What gives us hope that things might be different with an autonomous Bangsamoro State." 
 
Where is Marwan's body? 
 
The FBI confirmed that the biological sample they received from the Philippines matches that of Marwan's DNA.  
 
Before the confirmation, SAF reiterated that they were able to kill Marwan inside his hut during the January 25 operations. A SAF commando, who later died in the gunbattle, extracted a finger from the terrorist. 
 
However, people are asking where is the body of Marwan? 
 
Following Muslim culture, the terrorist should have been buried within 24 hours after his death. 
 
The residents of Barangay Libutan in Mamasapano denied that Marwan was buried in their area, where the sacred pusaka mosque of Libutan stood.  They said that they wouldn't allow a terrorist like him to be laid to rest in a sacred site. 
 

 
Coordination, ceasefire agreement
 
The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law has a list of questions for the  PNP's Board of Inquiry.
 
“Why there was no coordination with the MILF when the policemen entered the territory?”
 
Lawmakers, military and police top brass have pointed out that a lack of coordination, especially with the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), was one of the reasons why SAF got into a firefight with the MILF.
 
Sacked SAF director Getulio Pascua Napeñas has argued that coordinating with the MILF would have jeopardized the operation to arrest the terrorists.
 
The House committee also asked why the Armed Forces did not assist the SAF commandos.,"Was there an order for the AFP not to give assistance to the PNP-SAF? If so, who gave the order?"
 
The committee also wanted to know were the protocols listed in the ceasefire agreement regarding terrorists, wanted persons, and the presence of other armed groups. 
 
Questions from YouScoopers
 
Those in the social media also sent their questions for the Board of Inquiry on the Mamasapano clash. 
 
Here are the things they want the authorities to clarify: 
 
—Trisha Macas/DVM/NB, GMA News
 
LOADING CONTENT