EXACTLY A YEAR AFTER BLOODY

CLASH
Senate sets reopening of Mamasapano probe
on Jan. 25
Published January 5, 2016 2:48pm
Updated January 5, 2016 9:06pm
By AMITA LEGASPI, GMA News

The Senate will reopen its hearing on the Mamasapano incident on January 25,
exactly a year after the bloody police operation which resulted in the deaths of over 60
people, including 44 elite police officers and at least 17 fighters of the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front.
Sen. Grace Poe, head of the public order and dangerous drugs committee conducting
the probe, said the hearing will be held at the Senate session hall at 10 in the morning.
The hearing will commence following the Senate Rules committee's decision to return
the Mamasapano report to Poe's committee upon the request of Minority Leader Juan
Ponce Enrile.
It's good that the Rules Committee gave a go signal that additional hearing/s can be
called, in response to Minority Leader Enrile's request to call such, citing his personal
information, and possibly new evidence, Poe said in a statement.
Let it be stated as I manifested before, the new hearing/s will not affect or void our
earlier findings. Our Committee Report has been signed by 21 members. Lagi namang
may puwang kung may bagong ebidensya, she added.
The committee report stated that President Benigno Aquino III is responsible for the
Mamasapano operation.
Palace respects Senate decision

In Malacaang, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Palace

respects the decision of the Senate to reopen the Mamasapano probe.
Kilalanin lang natin na sa ating sistema ng gobyerno ay mayroong separation of
powers at anuman ang opinyon o posisyon ng Ehekutibo, nariyan pa rin yung dalawa
pang sangay na mayroon din namang laya at karapatang isagawa yung inaakala
nilang nararapat, Coloma told reporters during a press briefing.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines expressed support for the Senate's reopening of
the Mamasapano incident on January 25 and offered its personnel for any statements
required by the committee.
"We are ready to cooperate if troops or officers will be called for statements or
affidavits," AFP spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla told GMA News Online on
Tuesday.
Philippine National Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor
similarly expressed the PNP's willingness to participate in the investigation.
"The PNP respects the move of Senator Enrile to reopen the probe of the SAF 44 case
and will cooperate with the investigation," Mayor said.
"It has always been the aim of the PNP to seek and give justice to our SAF heroes and
ensure that the welfare of their families are well taken care of," he added.
Nothing to be swept under the rug
On Monday, Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said the Rules committee, which
he heads, sees no impediment in the reopening of the hearing.
At the height of the Senate hearings on deadly Jan. 25, 2015 Mamasapano clash,
Enrile was on hospital arrest at the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame over
plunder and graft charges in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam.
Enrile, 91, returned to the Senate on August 24, nearly a week after the Supreme
Court granted his petition to post bail due to poor health.

In his privilege speech in October, Enrile said the Mamasapano incident must not be
taken lightly as he demanded for a full plenary debate. He later said that he wanted a
reopening of the committee probe.
Nothing is to be put under the rug. Everything must come out, he said.
If we want to really be open and transparent to the people, then we must do this.
Otherwise, there will be suspicion that we are hiding something and I personally think
that we are hiding something, added Enrile. with Kathrina Charmaine
Alvarez/RSJ/NB, GMA News
- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/550052/news/nation/senate-setsreopening-of-mamasapano-probe-on-jan-25#sthash.q5DepsMx.dpuf

MMDA constable shot on Commonwealth

Avenue
Published January 5, 2016 9:58pm

A traffic constable of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) was

shot dead while on duty on Commonwealth Avenue, Cesar Apolinario reported on 24
Oras on Tuesday.
In the CCTV footage, constable Sidney Role was seen standing on the sidewalk in
with his brother and fellow MMDA constable Ritchie, who was off-duty at the time of
the incident.
Ritchie is assigned in Mandaluyong City.
The gunman was seen casually approaching the two. However, the actual shooting
wasn't seen on the CCTV video because a huge truck passed and blocked the scene.
Role was declared dead on arrival after suffering gunshot wounds to the head and
Senior Insperctor Elmer Monsalve of the Quezon City PNP said a task force was
formed to investigate the shooting to quickly resolve the case.

He believes the killing was motivated by a personal grudge or an ongoing case.

"Yung sa gabing 'yon, marami silang sinita, kasama ho 'yun sa iimbestigahan.
"Tinintingnan dito na motibo na maaring personal o tungkol sa trabaho," Monsalve
said. Rie Takumi/NB, GMA News
- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/550113/news/metro/mmda-constableshot-on-commonwealth-avenue#sthash.WMK6NpS4.dpuf