House allies: Noy also a victim

President Benigno S. Aquino III presides over the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board Meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room of the Malacañan Palace on Monday (February 16, 2015). (Photo by Rey Baniquet / Malacañang Photo Bureau / PCOO)

MANILA — President Aquino’s allies in the House of Representatives are claiming that Aquino is also a “victim” in the Mamasapano incident.

Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento, secretary general of the ruling party, said that Aquino must not be treated as if he is “one of the culprits” in the failed operation.

The Mamasapano incident killed 44 police commandos, MILF members and several civilians.

“Why would [his critics] want to crucify him on something that he had no control of? I think that the President has had enough of this Mamasapano issue,” he said in a statement.

The representative added that Aquino has done his best to help the families of the victims.

He also said that more than helping the kin of the victims, Aquino has also made efforts in explaining “the very little role that he had” in the failed operation.

“Some people are demanding accountability and some are even demanding his resignation allegedly because of command responsibility but even the [police board of inquiry] and the Senate reports cannot dispute the fact that the only involvement of the President in this Mamasapano incident was to give the order to execute the operation against [terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan”] and [Basit] Usman,” Sarmiento said.

“The President’s speech was very sincere and direct to the point.

It made a lot of sense. At the same time, it showed a very human side of the President. The President, once more, took responsibility despite the fact that he never had any control of the actual situation on the ground,” Sarmiento said.