MANILA, Philippines - Former President Fidel Ramos lashed out at the government for its failure to bring justice to 44 fallen members of the police Special Action Force.
He lamented the failure of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to identify and account for all the Muslim rebels and private armed groups behind the brutal deaths of the members of the anti-terror SAF.
Ramos issued the statement yesterday at the launching of the “First FVR Golf Classic,” a fund-raising campaign at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club.
He and a group of retired generals organized the event to help fund the schooling of orphaned children of the fallen SAF 44.
“Maybe we are just being fooled. More so, they are fooling victims and their families. Where is the follow up? Suddenly, all announcements (on the progress of the case) have stopped. Is it because there are some new people coming in at the Department of Justice?” said Ramos, founder of the SAF.
He was referring to the DOJ’s filing of criminal cases against 90 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) as well as members of private armed groups, most of them still unidentified.
The former Philippine Constabulary chief also twitted President Aquino, being the commander-in-chief, for his failure to maximize government human resources – from Malacañang down to the lowest level of governance through the Peace and Order Council – and identify all those behind the Mamasapano carnage.
Saying that most of the MILF rebels also doubled as BIFF members, Ramos stressed that the DOJ probers could have easily secured all the identities of the suspects had they asked the help and assistance of local officials.
He said most of these rebels and vigilantes in Maguindanao are known to local executives – from barangay councilors, barangay captains, municipal councilors and municipal mayors.