Speaker Belmonte not keen on reviving House probe on Mamasapano clash

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has no plans of reviving his chamber’s probe on the Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash unless the Board of Inquiry of the Philippine National Police comes up with an unsatisfactory report on the incident.

 

Speaking to reporters Thursday night, Belmonte said he is lukewarm on continuing the House hearings on the Mamasapano clash because that probe might just end up duplicating the inquiries by the Senate and other government agencies. 

 

“I’d like to see the BOI investigation and if it’s satisfactory, then we will rely on it and consider it as a closed matter. If we find, on the other hand, na hindi satisfactory [‘yung report] or it left too many questions unanswered, then I hold that we can still continue with the inquiry,” he said. 

 

“Pero kung okay na ‘yon, definitely I have no intention of duplicating the numerous inquiries that have been happening already,” Belmonte added.

 

The BOI is tasked to investigate the circumstances surrounding the conduct of  “Oplan Exodus,” the covert police operation to nab two high-profile terrorists in Mamasapano. 44 SAF commandos had died in a clash with several armed groups while carrying out the police operation.

 

The House has indefinitely suspended its investigation into the Mamasapano clash after conducting just a single and turbulent hearing. 

 

According to Interior Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas II, the BOI is set to submit its report on the incident on Friday or early Monday morning.

 

Last week, 33 lawmakers asked the Speaker to resume the House’s investigation on the tragic Mamasapano incident to give House members the opportunity to ask “very serious and important questions that will help ferret out the facts and the whole truth on this issue.”

 

The Makabayan bloc, which initiated the call for the resumption of the House hearings, is reportedly trying to get at least 100 lawmakers to sign another letter asking Belmonte for to resume the House probe.  — ELR, GMA News