Probe into Mamasapano fiasco must continue, solon says

Thursday’s (Feb 12, 2015) Senate hearing on the Mamasapano clash (Photo courtesy of Sen. Grace Poe’s Facebook page)

MANILA — A senior member of the Minority bloc in the House of Representatives on Friday stressed the need to continue deliberations on the bloody “Mamasapano Massacre” not only to ferret out the truth and give justice to the “Fallen 44” PNP-SAF commandos who died in the bloody incident.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo “Rodito” T. Albano III said they also need to tackle the controversial Bangsa Moro Basic Law (BBL) being pushed by the Aquino government intended to put an end to the decades long strife in Mindanao.

Albano also reminded his colleagues on the need for decorum and the utmost in parliamentary conduct among House members in future hearings to be conducted by the joint House committees on Public Order and Safety; and Peace, Unification and Unity.

The veteran lawmaker said it is essential that all House members attending the hearings to follow all the ground rules in the conduct of house inquiries in order to maintain order and allow the smooth flow of proceedings during the hearings on the “Mamasapano Massacre.”

“While the Mamasapano incident has been cause for grief for the Filipino nation—both Christians and Muslims—with the death of 44 SAF commandos as well as some MILF members,” Albano said as he appealed to his colleagues not to be carried away by the emotion-charged deliberations in committee hearings.

“Emotions and passions are stirred when we discuss the plight of the grieving families of the ‘Fallen 44’ who died in the encounter as we also feel for the families of the MILF members who died during the bloody encounters. But let us be reminded that we should not lose sight and focus on the intent of congressional hearings on the incident—to ferret out the truth and serve justice to the victims and their families,” he added.

According to the Ilokano solon, “We should not allow emotion to prevail over reason. How can we focus on our objectives when we get too emotional during the hearings? Let us not allow emotions to cloud our judgment and behavior during hearings as this is disruptive of the proceedings.”

“Don’t be ruled by your emotions, or else, in the excitement of passion, we shall not go beyond the point designated in the calm of reason. We should not be prejudiced and our passions should be subject to reason,” he pointed out.

“We all want to ferret out the truth behind the Mamasapano Massacre and in the process provide justice to all those who died and ultimately, to be able to finesse the controversial BBL into an acceptable, constitutionally compliant peace agreement,” Albano stressed.

He reminded that there is still a lot of hard work ahead of them as they take on the monumental task of crafting a Bangsamoro Basic Law that is constitutionally-compliant and realistically enforceable to forge lasting peace in strife-torn Mindanao.