Mamasapano Tragedy Underscores Imperative Of Peace – Deles

A year after the Mamasapano incident which claimed 67 Filipino lives, including that of an eight-year-old child, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles emphasized anew that the unfortunate event only served to strengthen the agency’s resolve to continue pushing for peace in Mindanao.

“The unfortunate incident in Mamasapano, which plunged the Filipino nation in deep grief, showed the fragility of the path to peace,” Deles said. “The forcible deconstruction triggered by the tragedy compels us to a reconstruction, a recovery, a rethinking that must go deep and far and wide if we are to do justice to the truth and the pursuit of peace.”

Alleged advice to PNoy never happened

Recently, news reports in mainstream and social media surfaced again alleging that Secretary Deles advised President Benigno S. Aquino III to not send back-up troops to aid the members of the Philippine National Police–Special Action Force (SAF) at the height of the Mamasapano encounter.

In a press statement released last year, OPAPP clarified that no such advice to the President was sought nor given by Secretary Deles who was never a part of any stage of the Marwan operations, nor any other security enforcement operations.

Meanwhile, OPAPP on February 14, 2015 came out with a media release that assailed the malicious misinformation being spread on social media alleging that she talked to a legislator mentioning an intent to “whitewash” the tragic events that unfolded in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25, with details of the meeting being referred in the audio, and recalled meeting with two senators the day after the Mamasapano incident. One was with Senator Marcos and the other with Senate President Franklin Drilon.

“I never adverted to anything about a plan to ‘make the incident disappear’ or for a ‘whitewash.’ This issue was proven to be false and mere political gimmick when it came out such that the legislative committees conducting hearings on the Mamasapano incident in aid of legislation at that time no longer included it in their investigations,” Deles clarified. “The full illegal recording was out there in social media uploaded by an anonymous person, and people who listened to it confirmed that they could not find any reference to a whitewash or cover-up, unless it was tampered and spliced.”

Commemoration should focus on seeking justice

Deles maintained that the commemoration of the Mamasapano tragedy should focus solely in seeking justice for the deaths of the elite cops, Moro combatants and innocent civilians instead of politicking the ill-fated incident for personal motives.

“In remembering Mamasapano we are making a fervent prayer –for justice for those who perished and negatively affected by the tragedy, for healing and peace for the families and communities, and of the nation, and clarity of mind and wisdom for fellow Filipinos that they may always see and discern the truth from deception — for our country and the just and lasting peace it deserves,” Deles said. (OPAPP)