Marcos tells DOJ: Find, charge SAF 44 killers

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to speed up its investigation on the Mamasapano incident and identify and hold liable those involved in the "massacre" of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers last January 25.

Marcos said he agrees with the wording of the 129-page committee report that the SAF troopers who went to implement Operation Plan Exodus, aimed at getting two terrorists, were waylaid by suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and other armed groups holed up in the area.

“I fully agree with the wording of the committee report that our troops were murdered by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and other armed groups. That’s why the Department of Justice should hunt them, charge them, and jail them,” Marcos said.

The findings by the Senate panel led by Senate committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs chairman Sen. Grace Poe saidthat the MILF and fighters and members of other private armed groups committed murder and robbery.

The committee, joint with the committees on peace, unification and reconciliation and finance, submitted its investigation report on the Mamasapano incident last March 18.

The SAF men were on a mission to neutralize Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan”, and his local cohort, Basit Usman. A third target, Amin Baco, was also identified in the Philippine National Police-Board of Inquiry (PNP-BOI) as part of Oplan Exodus.

“I’m really convinced by and agree with the findings that our troops were massacred and murdered. That’s what I’ve said from the start. And the videos that we have seen showed how our SAF members were senselessly killed. That’s why murder is the right gruesome term,” he said.

Marcos said that justice for the killed policemen should be the highest priority of the government.

“The families of the victims want no less than swift justice. They are not asking for anything else, they are not hoping for other things than to see the culprits behind bars,” Marcos said.