Military, police officials in Mamasapano probe urged to undergo lie detector test

Published April 8, 2015 4:45pm

(Updated 5:28 p.m.) A lawmaker on Wednesday suggested that police and military officials involved in the Mamasapano operations be subjected to a polygraph examination.

ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Samuel Pagdilao made the recommendation after Col. Gener del Rosario, commander of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade; Senior Inspector Michael John Mangahis, Special Action Force Battalion Commander; and Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, SAF commander gave their respective narrations of what happened in the morning of January 25 when the SAF was asking for military assistance in the Mamasapano operation.

“We have been hearing two versions of the truth. If this will continue even in an executive session, pareho din po ang sasabihin nila, they will stand by their word, words that have been quoted, recorded in the Senate and the BOI, some even denied even those recorded. I think one way of resolving this is to submit these gentlemen, if they will agree, to a polygraph examination,” he said.

Pagdilao, a lawyer, is a former director of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

ACT-Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio seconded the motion.

Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, however, opposed it.

“I think it will not be a good procedure on our part if we shall be hearing conflicting answers and request the persons making the conflicting statements undergo polygraph examination. Otherwise, people will be already avoiding invitation coming from this House, that’s a very dangerous precedent on our part,” he said.

“If we think that they are lying, then let the corresponding cases be filed in court, not to mention they have the right to self incrimination,” he added.

Polygraph test results are inadmissible in court.

During the resumption of the hearing of House of Representatives’ inquiry on Mamasapano clash, Mangahis said he thoroughly briefed Del Rosario on the location of the beleaguered SAF troops around 7 a.m. but the latter said the information given to him was not enough.

Taliño confirmed the statement of Mangahis.

“Naniniwala ako na sa meeting with Del Rosario na explain ko properly yung position ng troops. naririnig ko nung may kausap siya na binabanggit niya yung peace process,” Mangahis said.

Del Rosario said he got the grid coordinates of the SAF troops before noon.

“The troops are moving, they cannot even tell me saan ang head element, tail element, ilan ang tao. They cannot even answer me kung ilan yung kalaban,” he said. — RSJ, GMA News

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