Senate to deliberate today on reopening of Mamasapano probe

MANILA, Philippines - Upon resumption of regular session today, the Senate is expected to deliberate on Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile’s pending motion to reopen the investigation on the Mamasapano operation that resulted in the death of 44 policemen.

Sen. Francis Escudero said the Senate might be divided on the issue of whether or not the matter will be dealt with in plenary or if the committee on public order chaired by Sen. Grace Poe should reopen the inquiry.

“There might be a need to put Senator Enrile’s motion to a vote on the floor,” said Escudero, who is inclined to vote for plenary deliberations or even reopening the investigation.

Escudero also thinks a majority of his colleagues will move for the renewed deliberations on the botched Mamasapano operation, noting that even Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano agrees with Enrile on the need to discuss the matter in open hearing.  

The committee on public order released a report that found President Aquino responsible for the deaths of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) members, but the matter has not been scheduled for plenary debates by the majority leader.

Enrile brought up his concerns on the floor on Oct. 7 prior to the adjournment of session for the Halloween break. In his privilege speech, Enrile said he wants the Mamasapano incident to be investigated further.

“I would like to inquire into and know the status of the much publicized committee report on the Senate inquiry conducted and concluded on the Mamasapano incident supposedly in aid of legislation,” he said.

“I believe we owe it as a matter of solemn duty to the Special Action Force members who perished, as well as to those who survived by the grace of the Almighty, and to their bereaved families who are still now are crying for justice, to place this crucial matter into the records of the Senate plenary session,” he added.

Enrile also said the victims’ families have feared that the “injustice done to them” would be drowned by the noise and frenzy of the campaign season for the May 2016 elections or just be used for political propaganda.

 It has been 10 months since the tragedy. The Philippine National Police’s SAF was sent on a mission to serve arrest warrants for Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir alias Marwan and his Filipino cohort Abdul Basit Usman in their hut in Mamasapano town last Jan. 25. 

During the operation, however, the SAF had an encounter with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and other Moro rebels despite ongoing peace talks between government and the MILF. Forty-four SAF members were killed in the clash.

It was also found in the initial investigation that then suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima was involved in the mission planning and that the President allegedly allowed it. Purisima resigned at the height of the Senate investigation into the Mamasapano operation, while Aquino received flak.

Senate performance

Aside from the revival of Senate discussions on Mamasapano, senators are also expected to speed up deliberations on the 2016 national budget and the Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

From July 22, 2013 to Oct. 29 this year, a total of 2,995 bills were filed before the Senate during the 16th  Congress. 

 The Senate Legislative Bills and Index Service reported that 2,281 bills were filed during the first regular session; 563 during the second regular session, and 151 during the third regular session.

 Out of the 492 bills acted upon or passed by the Senate, only 32 were enacted into law. These include the UniFAST Law, Forestry Profession Act, Youth Entrepreneurship Act of 2014, Prohibition on Children Riding Motorcycle Act, Fair Competition Act of 2014, and Student-Athletes Protection Act,

 The Senate and the House of Representatives also passed the amendments to the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Act and passed the Probation Law, Naval Architecture Act, Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act, Microfinance NGOs Act, Strategic Trade Management Act, PAGASA Modernization Act, Anti-Ambulance Chasing Act, and National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Incentives Act.