Noy was not there for Marwan — Palace

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 — A palace official recently denied earlier reports that President Aquino was in Zamboanga City on Jan. 25 to receive Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” dead or alive.

The official told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the President had denied the allegations several times after the failed Mamasapano operation.

“He has said so many times before why he flew to Zamboanga City. He went there because he wanted to look into the bombing incident himself,” the official said as quoted in the same Inquirer report.

The official also added that the President enumerated several arguments against the report.

One of which is that it does not make any sense to fly to Zamboanga City if he was really expecting the capture of Marwan.

The official added that the president could have gone straight to Cotabato City, if indeed, he was after personally witnessing the capture of Marwan.