Assault rifles of survivor cops also cannibalized

MANILA, Philippines - It was not only the firearms of the Special Action Force (SAF) troopers who died in the Mamasapano carnage that were cannibalized – even the assault rifles of policemen-survivors handed over to soldiers had missing parts.

This is according to the Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry (BOI), which investigated the SAF’s mission to capture terrorists in Mamasapano but resulted in the carnage of 44 SAF troopers.

In its report released last Friday, the BOI said some rifles turned over to soldiers had missing parts when these were returned. “Interviews with members of Seaborne Company revealed missing and/or stolen parts of rifles.”

It cited the case of Police Officer 2 Rommel Magno, who was seriously wounded and had to turn over his rifle, as well as the rifles of dead Seaborne commandos, to a member of the Army’s Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC).

“When Magno’s rifle was returned, its GL M203 grenade launcher was missing,” the BOI report said.

What was surprising was “Magno’s rifle was among the firearms turned over by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to the government (last Feb. 18).”

“This means that the firearm got into the hands of Moro rebels when it should have been under the protection of the Armed Forces of the Philippines troops,” it stressed.      

The BOI stopped short of accusing the soldier-rescuers of cannibalizing some SAF rifles.

Troops belonging to the Army’s DRC rescued the remaining members of Seaborne Company at past 11 p.m. on Jan. 25.