PNP-SAF commanding officer confirms: 55th Company trooper was in killing video

A police official on Wednesday confirmed that the men featured in a video clip circulating on Facebook being brutally killed by gunmen were indeed members of the Philippine National Police' Special Action Force' 55th company.

 

During the House of Representatives' hearing on the Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash on Wednesday, Supt. Reynald Ariño, Commanding Officer of the PNP's 5th Special Action Battalion said he could identify the person in the video.

 

"I saw the video, I can also identify the person in the video," he said. "He is a SAF officer assigned in the 55th company."

 

He, however, did not say if the video was taken during the clash between the elite policemen and Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters combatants in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao last January 25, which resulted to the death of 44 SAF troopers.

 

Earlier on Wednesday, SAF spokesman Captain Jayson Baldos told GMA News Online that the patches and uniforms of the men in the video showed that they were from the PNP's SAF.

 

However, he could not confirm if the clip was taken during the controversial clash.

 

"Kinokontak pa natin ang battalions," he said, noting that this includes the battalion of the fallen troopers' 5th battalion, which based in Zamboanga City.

 

Asked for the identity of the gunmen in the video, Baldos said they are still verifying.

 

The six-minute video clip, entitled "Story behind of Mamasapano," was uploaded by a certain Zaldy Baldz Suson.

 

The video, believed to be taken by one of the attackers, showed a wounded trooper on the ground, being shot several times until he was dead.

 

After the death, the attacker then proceeded to the other dead troopers, and also stripped them off their gear and equipment.

 

The video, which draw flak from angry netizens, also showed other gunmen stripping off other troopers on the ground of their gear.

 

'Walang kalaban-laban'

 

Meanwhile, Eliza Abirin Esmula, widow of fallen SAF trooper PO2 Amman Misuari, said she has seen the video, and could confirm that the man being killed in the video was not her husband.

 

"Napanood ko 'yun kanina, may isa doong pinagpapatay, pero hindi 'yan ang asawa ko, iba 'yung itsura," she said.

 

The 34-year-old Amman, one of the two Muslim men in the Fallen 44, was originally from Zamboanga Sibugay. He had been active with the PNP since 2006. He graduated from Western Mindanao State University.

 

When asked if she could confirm if those shown in the video were colleagues of her husband, she just said: "Hindi ko ma-confirm kasi hindi ko maalala 'yung mga itsura nila."

 

"Hindi rin pamilyar sa'kin 'yung lugar sa video," she added.

 

She, however, said the video was very painful to watch as it could have happened to her husband.

 

"Hindi na naawa, tinuloy pa rin (fired the gun) kahit wala nang kalaban-laban," she said.

 

For his part, Baldos urged the public to refrain from sharing the video brutally killing their colleagues.

 

"Panawagan sana na hangga't maaari, itigil na nila ang pagsha-share, kasi hindi lamang ito masakit para sa family, pero syempre masakit rin para sa'min sa SAF," he said.

 

"'Yung paglabas nito, parang dinagdagan 'yung sufferring ng hindi lamang ng family, kundi pati rin ang members ng SAF, degrading ito, ang pagpatay," he added. "Fresh pa ang wounds."

 

Forty-four police commandos died in Mamasapano on January 25 after killing suspected international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir in supposed MILF territory. They figured in an extended firefight with members of the MILF and its breakaway BIFF. —JST, GMA News