President Benigno Simeon (BS) Aquino and his allies would like the Filipino people to move on from the January 25 massacre of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mamasapano. In particular, Senator Franklin Drilon doesn’t think “there is anything more to explain”. Senator Chiz Escudero for his part says he doesn’t think the President is liable for the deaths of the SAFs. It is worth mentioning that BS Aquino was the best man in Escudero’s recent nuptials to actress Heart Evangelista. Meanwhile, Drilon has been a staunch Aquino supporter dating back to the Cory days.
President BS Aquino should practice what he preaches and move on from his habit of looking back to his parents’ suffering.
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It’s actually quite hypocritical of President BS Aquino and his allies to expect the public to get over it considering Aquino ascended to power by blaming previous presidents. In fact, he takes every opportunity to bore the public with narrations of his father’s death and how his family “suffered” under the Martial Law years every chance he gets.
Calls for BS Aquino’s resignation or ouster are steadily growing. What was supposed to be a secret operation — so secret that even Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas was not aware of it — has taken on a new life. It is something that the Malacanang propaganda machine cannot control anymore. Their attempt to distract the public with the resumption of Senate hearings against Vice President Jejomar Binay’s allegedly overpriced building hasn’t worked to divert people’s attention away from the issue and neither did the arrest of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay and his forced appearance in the Senate hearings make a difference to the growing public outrage. It is worth mentioning that despite the number of months the Senate has devoted to the investigation against the Binays, the senators from the Opposition are not ready to say, “there is nothing more to explain”. But I digress…
BS Aquino and his allies have been trying to downplay what happened between the SAF and the MILF at Mamasapano since Day One. The public has heard some of the lamest excuses from not only those involved in the operation, but also from BS Aquino’s cabinet members who try to save the President from any liability during the tragic event. Here are some of them:
1. Simply a misencounter
After news broke out about the deaths of the 44 SAFs, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas quickly described what had happened as a “misencounter”. Political pundits and netizens alike were quick to look up the meaning of the word but found to their dismay that the word doesn’t exist in the English vocabulary. That set off the alarm bells to what the public thinks was the initial whitewashing. For someone who claims to not have known about the operation, Roxas didn’t have a basis for saying it was simply a “misencounter”.
Will BS Aquino’s endorsement in 2016 make up for Mar’s being left out of the loop?
2. It was merely an “advice” not an “order”.
Former PNP Chief Alan Purisima was the next one to engage in word play. Despite confirming through a text message to sacked PNP-SAF head Director Getulio Napeñas Jr that the “plan is a go on the timeline, Jan. 23 to 26”, he denies giving the order for the operation to arrest international bombmaker Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and his Filipino protégé Abdul Basit Usman insisting that what he gave was just an “advice”.
Suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima: Feeder of lies?
3. The chain of command does not apply to the Philippine National Police.
Moving on from word play, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima tried confusing the public with jargon. Her move left some people speechless. How can any organization, whether private or public, military or civilian function without following a chain of command? If we follow De Lima’s logic, it’s a miracle lower ranking police officers haven’t conducted their own covert operation considering they do not have to answer to anyone at the top. This attempt to rescue BS Aquino from any liability for the deaths of the 44 SAF troopers is so lame. It ranks right up there with the classic “my dog ate my homework” excuse.
Justice Secretary Leila De Lima does not believe in command responsibility.
SECTION 1. Neglect of Duty Under the Doctrine of “Command Responsibility”. Any government official or supervisor, or officer of the Philippine National Police or that of any other law enforcement agency shall be held accountable for “Neglect of Duty” under the doctrine of “command responsibility” if he has knowledge that a crime or offense shall be committed, is being committed, or has been committed by his subordinates, or by others within his area of responsibility and, despite such knowledge, he did not take preventive or corrective action either before, during, or immediately after its commission.
I would have recommended her to be sacked for deliberate cover-up but she was trying to protect the very person who could fire her.
4. It was self-defence.
That was the excuse chairman of the peace-negotiating panel of the MILF, Mohagher Iqbal used to justify the execution style killing of the SAF. 27 of the 44 fallen troopers were shot in the head at close range with one commando shot 14 times. If that is their style of “self-defence”, I am curious to know how they kill their enemies during an “official” combat. ISIS-style killing comes to mind.
Sincerity in question: Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal
To further fuel the speculation that the MILF is just Malaysia’s front in the latter’s quest to colonize Mindanao, Iqbal confirmed that the MILF report on the Mamasapano clash will not be given directly to the Philippine government. He said it would have to pass through Malaysia first since they are the third party facilitator in the peace negotiations. His statement is so reassuring that the Filipino people will get the unedited version after Malaysia sifts through the report. Not.
5. SAF should be held accountable.
Presidential Peace Advisor Teresita Deles: Whose side is she on?
The people are getting confused over why a government official like Deles would even say government troops should not have gone into certain areas of Mindanao to conduct an official operation. In the words of Iqbal, the MILF will remain a revolutionary organization unless the BBL is implemented.
6. I was fed lies.
The ever-changing statements from BS Aquino came down to a simple “I was fed lies”. After his recent meeting with some lawmakers, the President managed to convince them that he was given inaccurate information during the Mamasapano clash and that his order to coordinate the operation to get Marwan with the military was “disregarded”. That is what you call a convenient excuse. We just have to ask: how come BS Aquino never said these things during his press conferences?
Now that Purisima has resigned, President BS Aquino is now free to call him a liar.
Recall the first time he addressed the nation about the Mamasapano clash, he said to a reporter, he didn’t think he was ever asked the question, “Sir, can we have the go-signal?” All the while his buddy Purisima met with him weeks prior to the operation and was updating him about the Mamasapano clash as early as 5 a.m.
Now BS Aquino would like us all to believe that had Purisima given him accurate information, he would have done everything to save the lives of the fallen SAFs. In this particular case, BS is indeed short for bullshit. The public should not move on from this issue until President BS Aquino owns up and tells the truth.
[Article thumbnail photo courtesy Inquirer.net.]
In life, things are not always what they seem.
One thing the televised hearings turned up in its search for the truth — not that neither media nor Palace has done its level best to convey it — is that, in the heat of what would turn out to be a gory one-sided battle between two unequal forces, Noynoy was fed inaccurate information by a less-than-accurately-informed Purisima. It would be natural to think that, given the circumstances as revealed then, Noynoy was not in a position to give any go-signal — simply stated, he didn’t know that those SAF troopers were in such a quandary, so how could he even act wrongly?
The testimony that Purisima offered through his text messages as well as the information slowly teased out through the Senate hearings does not contradict Noynoy’s previous statements regarding what happened at Mamasapano that bloody January day. But eh — to eyes all aflame with the fire of persecution, Noynoy has always been and will always be guilty as charged, whether or not the evidence proves it.
Yeah, the whole thing needed to be “slowly teased out through the Senate hearings”, didn’t it?
I’m sure most people here quite familiar with that awful feeling of being lied to. Questions don’t get straight answers, lots of stammering, delays, etc. You know a liar when you are faced with one and this one is hiding behind drawn out “procedures”.
Rather than tell the truth straightaway (and the president had lots of opportunity to face the public in a timely manner and do just that), BS Aquino relied on the Senate to do the job for him. So he deserves to cop the criticism and derision thrown his way today. Perhaps the truth may have finally come out but it did not come from BS Aquino’s BS mouth. It came from people who had to go out and find it the HARD way.
Are you gonna believe such a man next time? Nobody will. Only fools get lied to by the same liar a SECOND time. Hey wait…
It is immaterial whether or not Aquino was fed lies that prevented him from ordering the rescue of the SAF troops; what should be emphasized is that the whole operation was doomed from the start because Aquino assigned or allowed a suspended policeman, his BFF Purisima, to head the operation. I’m not in the military, but I do understand that in critical military operations, the chain of command is very important as it could make or break the operation. (That’s why soldiers or policemen are taught to obey first and question the order later, if need be.) That, I think, was exactly what happened. Purisima said he’d be the one to inform Catapang, but when asked why he didn’t coordinate with the AFP, he said he could not have done that because he was suspended. He was blaming Napenas, but really, how could Napenas be blamed when it was clear to him that his commander-in-chief appointed Purisima to lead the operation, and Purisima ordered (“advised”?) him not to tell Catapang about it. The same was said by San Beda Law School Dean Fr. Aquino and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, among other law experts. They said the president’s liable based on the principle of conspiracy (to subvert an official ruling of suspension by a court of law, which led to the unfortunate incident).
Chrissie–I belive Mar Roxas ordered Stand down negative negative
@Pallacertus
You are such an apologist for PNoy. Well, the fact remains: PNoy was relying on a suspended PNP Chief for information about the operation and to contact the AFP regarding reinforcements on that tragic day. How stupid was that? And now he is using Purisima to save his ass by saying “I was fed lies”. Your idol should be held accountable for the deaths of all those who died, not just the SAFs.
Here’s a video that proves Purisima called the shots and PNoy knew about it. Napenas admits reporting only to suspended Purisima, PNoy
“You are such an apologist for PNoy.”
Well, someone on this site has to do it. My apologies if I choose to see the guy as a flawed human actor and not as the Filipino incarnation of supreme evil given the evidence (and don’t you blother me with de Quiros-level tripe as benign0 did — I’m no fire-eating Noynoy-worshipper).
“PNoy was relying on a suspended PNP Chief for information about the operation”
Even if we ignore the fact (as revealed by Noynoy in his first speech after the bloodbath, and reiterated in subsequent weeks) that said PNP chief was still not suspended when he gave what information he had on Marwan and Usman, Purisima had up-to-date intel on where those terrorists were hiding. It would be a sad, sad lapse of judgment for Noynoy or for anyone to look for up-to-date info on their whereabouts elsewhere when he already knew where to find said info, suspension or no.
As for Purisima’s precise role thereafter, well — that should be queried into, if just for the sake of completeness. The Senate did not dig into it too deeply for lack of time (but perhaps details of that nature were revealed in executive sessions; we’ll see).
“Your idol”
My idol? Mine? Please — I only hold two people to that pedestal, one fictional, the other all too real: Fred Rogers and Kaname Madoka. Noynoy I see as simply too flawed a person and too wanting as president to be one to me. So please, don’t put thoughts in lieu of my mind — I own the damn thing, for crying out loud.
See that’s the thing. The only argument PNoy apologists have against PNoy critics is that the guy is “not a bad/evil guy”. That phrase encapsulates Pinoy-style mediocre thinking. Rather than aspire for excellence, Filipinos aspire for “not bad”.
The other style of argument is to “ignore” certain facts and focus on certain “positive” aspects. Pretty convenient. Any aspect of an issue can be made to look like a shining light when you blot out context. Kind of like regarding a drunk bum lying on the sidewalk and saying, “ignore for a moment that the guy is a drunk bum, he’s still a human being in god’s eyes”. Ha ha! And that is why Pinoys are such chronic losers. Because all the bad stuff is ignored and everything looks blessed. 😀
The funny thing about PNoy apologists is that within the arguments they field lies even more insight into what is wrong with said arguments.
@Pallacertus
So you see PNoy “as a flawed human actor”. Well, I’ve got news for you: We are all flawed. The main difference is, some of us know enough when to admit our mistakes, apologise for it and learn from it.
Unfortunately, in PNoy’s case, he refuses to admit his mistakes and even blames other people instead of apologising for it. And because he thinks he didn’t do anything wrong, he doesn’t learn from it. Yeah, perhaps he is just acting like a tough guy to mask his weakness. So, you’re right about him being an actor.
We don’t expect PNoy to be perfect. However, we expect him to employ and surround himself with good advisers who can guide him in deciding on the best policies. We also expect him to listen to his critics instead of dismissing them as his enemies.
Had PNoy limited Purisima’s role to “consultant”, the outcome would not be as tragic. Since he was suspended, he didn’t want to inform the acting PNP Chief that he was overseeing a major covert operation and he was very careful not to let the AFP know about it until the day.
No, the senate didn’t run out of time conducting the hearing on the Mamasapano clash. They just didn’t want to continue. Didn’t you read the first paragraph of my article? Senator Franklin Drilon doesn’t think “there is anything more to explain”.
You think details were revealed in the executive sessions and you’re ok with them leaving the public to guest what really happened? That’s just irrational thinking. This issue is already causing too much division in Philippine society and some are already furious because they don’t know what is going on but you seem fine with it.
Your comments are the window into your mind. You apologise shamelessly for PNoy even when he has already been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“The only argument PNoy apologists have against PNoy critics is that the guy is “not a bad/evil guy”. That phrase encapsulates Pinoy-style mediocre thinking.”
Or it could be me trying to contain myself, stopping myself from crying for Noynoy’s head before the evidence is all in. It could be me respecting the office of the president if not its current occupant; it could be me understanding that due process and deliberation have their place, as after all people are trying to unseat the fucking president; it could be that my ideal of an attempt at presidential removal impartially arrived at is the Watergate investigation of the early ’70s and not the House investigations of alleged impeachable crimes and misdemeanors by Bill Clinton through the ’90s.
All those things. Maybe more.
“Rather than aspire for excellence, Filipinos aspire for “not bad”.”
I don’t give a shit about our collective proclivities, for they have no bearing here. What I do give a shit about is as complete a picture of what happened in Mamasapano last Jan. 25 as possible, clipped as it will be by claims of executive, military, and police discretion due to national security concerns.
If after all the evidence is gathered and interpretations hazarded and verified it is found out that Noynoy hid from the public crimes that would be deemed impeachable, then I would be right alongside you calling for him to step down.
But not before then. Because for better or worse, we have institutions, and we must respect them if they are to be more than inconvenient constrictions, to be jettisoned when the mob feels like it.
“The other style of argument is to “ignore” certain facts and focus on certain “positive” aspects. … Any aspect of an issue can be made to look like a shining light when you blot out context.”
Very well. What facts did I elide? What contexts did I ignore? Let’s read them.
@Pallacertus, that goes back to my previous assertion — that President BS Aquino being the single common denominator across the MILF, the military, and the police is actually in the single best position to tell the truth. But he did not step up to that role. Instead he shrunk behind a web of lies and bullshittery.
Instead he is biding time waiting for other people to tease out that “truth” which he likely already has stuck somewhere between his brain and his mouth. True enough, Congress’s “lack of time” (your words) has become yet another excuse for the revelation of the truth to be delayed. Suddenly the lack of truth is now Congress’s fault.
That’s a pretty clever trick BS Aquino is playing on his bosses — one where new people to blame keep emerging with every delay and every new “measure” to “tease out the truth”. Everyone’s falling for it.
Is BS Aquino a different politician? No. He’s the same as all the rest in the way he plays the SAME games, and a lot worse at lying as he goes about it.
“You apologise shamelessly for PNoy even when he has already been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.”
Would you change your tune if I say in sum that I am not an Aquino apologist? Likely not, so I won’t pursue it any further.
“Since he was suspended, he didn’t want to inform the acting PNP Chief that he was overseeing a major covert operation and he was very careful not to let the AFP know about it until the day.”
What I have heard from listening at the Senate hearings is that Napenas, acting under Purisima’s orders, did not inform the AFP of Oplan Exodus till Jan. 25 for fear that word of the impending operation will leak out, and cites a previous military-led operation to capture Marwan that ended in failure for precisely the same reason.
As to why Espina wasn’t informed, I have no idea; my recollections don’t extend that far, and no new information that I know of has surfaced that would help explain Purisima’s motivation. It is a curious fact that needs an explanation, that I agree with. That Noynoy directed Purisima to keep mum about Exodus to Espina (or to Mar Roxas) doesn’t necessarily follow.
“No, the senate didn’t run out of time conducting the hearing on the Mamasapano clash. They just didn’t want to continue. Didn’t you read the first paragraph of my article? Senator Franklin Drilon doesn’t think “there is anything more to explain”.”
I know that the House hearings ended because the congressmen didn’t want to continue, but that the Senate hearings ended the same way? That’s news to me — I thought the Senate wrapped up its investigation due to the House restarting its hearings on the BBL. I’ll check it up.
“You think details were revealed in the executive sessions and you’re ok with them leaving the public to guess what really happened?”
If the grounds for invoking the right to speak about those details in executive session are respectable enough (and those that did cited national security concerns), then I’m OK with that. Of course people are free to ask for more, but then I ask in return (if vaguely): what more do you wanna know? Is there something wrong with the timeline of events at Mamasapano as divulged that was not revealed publicly but that you would argue the public has the right to know? Something along these lines.
Oh c’mon, Pallacertus. In your earlier comment you already admitted that you are a PNoy apologist but now you are saying that you are not. Don’t tell me you are just one of those time-wasters? Gees…can you just get real so the discussion will not go around in circles? Let’s establish this much: You are a PNoy apologist because you spend a lot of time apologising for him.
Also it is so convenient for you to ignore my statement about PNoy’s lack of accountability. Here it is again:
Unfortunately, in PNoy’s case, he refuses to admit his mistakes and even blames other people instead of apologising for it. And because he thinks he didn’t do anything wrong, he doesn’t learn from it. Yeah, perhaps he is just acting like a tough guy to mask his weakness. So, you’re right about him being an actor.
There you go. You have “no idea”. What makes you think you can judge other people’s opinion on the issue when you have “no idea”? You claim to want to know the truth just like the rest of us but you come across like you are annoyed at people who demand for it. Stop acting like you have the moral high ground just because you think PNoy is a “flawed actor”. PNoy is just a public servant. He is not a king or a god that should be treated with awe and reverence especially since he betrayed the people’s trust.
Again, you just confirmed that you had no idea and had no basis for saying “The Senate did not dig into it too deeply for lack of time. You remind me of PNoy. You can’t accept that you made a mistake. No wonder you understand and idolise him.
What duh…? Did Malacanang or anyone from congress even say anything about the details being of “national security” to justify staying mum? You keep making things up. You should stick to FACTS. See, this is why the conversation gets moronic.
What more do we want to know, you ask? Again, you contradict yourself. I thought you were curious about “facts that needs an explanation”? Tsk tsk…
To answer your question: I pretty much know through the video I provided previously that Napenas was taking orders from Purisima. I just want PNoy to admit that he authorised Purisima to conduct the operation and face the consequences of his decision. People died because of his misguided loyalty to and trust in Purisima. PNoy should be punished for it.
@Pallacertus: Observe how you keep deferring to “the timeline” when the issue being highlighted here is the accountability of President BS Aquino and his being the single person who is in the best position to tell the truth given he is the sole common denominator linking the MILF, Philippine Army, and the police.
I also might remind you that this “timeline” is a product of somebody else’s work. That’s all NO THANKS to any effort on Malacanang’s part to cobble it together. It had to take days of intense grilling to tease it out.
As I said in a previous article, all of the above is classic symptoms of a cover-up. You know you are being lied to when you suddenly find yourself possessing an undeserved onus to tease something out of the mouth of someone who you know knows the truth.
“… that goes back to my previous assertion — that President BS Aquino being the single common denominator across the MILF, the military, and the police is actually in the single best position to tell the truth.”
Except that Noynoy is saying that he was fed inaccurate information of the status of the SAF troopers by an inaccurately informed Purisima. So how can he be in a position to tell the truth about the events in Mamasapano if the information he had was sketchy at best? That’s asking him to do the impossible, don’t you think?
So the only way to say that Noynoy lied about Mamasapano is by saying, a priori, that Noynoy lied. Circular, isn’t it?
@Pallacertus
Who ordered negative negative Standown. Baka si Mar Roxas. May excuse si pnoy,busy siya sa paglalaro ng video game
@Pallacertus
Ang bait ng presidente. Ginago siya ni Napenas, 44 ang patay, Laid off lang ang inabot niya. Dapat ay mag rally ang mga namatayan at demand na ma firing squad si napenas at si Purisima ang magsasabi ng ” fire”
Yeah, apology accepted General Lida. President BS Aquino was “not informed”.
But you miss the point of course, Mr @Pallacertus.
Those snippets of info you drop here and there to buttress your quaint apologism are the products of that tease I’ve been talking about. And that is the point.
BS Aquino is a victim of his own lack of statesmanship in the face of crushingly intractable national crisis. Everyone’s fielding their versions of the truth — everyone, that is, except the man. Where is he? How does a president worth his salt allow this chaos and confusion to rage on without coming out, planting his mug before the camera and speaking up.
Oh yeah, I forgot: BS Aquino counts a lot of stuff as things that are not his job. Sorry. 😀
I’m gonna reply to Ilda once I have the time and the info I need so both of us will be satisfied. So now I deal with you.
“Those snippets of info you drop here and there to buttress your quaint apologism”
“Quaint”. Now I’m not going to object to the word; it just makes me wistful somehow. Suddenly I think of a Fernando Amorsolo painting — rural setting, all-smiling folk, seething golden sun, that sort of thing.
“are the products of that tease I’ve been talking about”
— and therefore by rumor and insinuation he is guilty as charged of being a traitor a tyrant a Tupperware tumbler for the sake of rhyme, but do we convict people based on rumor and insinuation in this country? We throw them off positions of power because we THOUGHT they’re doing something wrong, even though the only clue is an ungodly stench? That’s how we do it here — walang due process, basta hala bira, bahala na si Harvey Dent?
“Everyone’s fielding their versions of the truth — everyone, that is, except the man.”
Whose words will of course be parsed out of context, back into context, shaped, molded, spun, chopped, diced, sliced, ground into fine powder, melted, roasted, toasted, retorted, distorted, blown out of all proportion, pricked into insignificance, and so on and so forth.
Why release a statement detailing your actions before during after Mamasapano when you’re aware that the public would readily dismiss anything that doesn’t coincide with its version of events as fake and contrived?
“Where is he?”
Waiting for others to do the explaining and clarifying for him — waiting for the various investigative committees to come out and show before a watching world the results of their investigations. I need not spell the advantages of this towards securing an objective, dispassionate, and authoritative telling of events as they unfolded in Mamasapano, among other things.
And therein lies the problem. You’ve pretty much summed up the way the public and the media treat the President. Look back then and try to understand how it came to this point — a point where every word and action of his is taken by a public who (again in your own words) “readily dismiss anything that doesn’t coincide with its version of events as fake and contrived.”
Go back 5 years ago and you have a public who, presumably just as mindlessly, would readily accept anything (see the same principle at work but just working in his favour?). The way it all works hasn’t changed. It just shifted against his interests.
The very same game he played with public perception using media as his tool has now come around the other way to bite. And now that it’s come the other way, he lacks the skills to deal with it. That’s the hallmark of an incompetent leader.
And by the way, I’m not a court of law. So nobody here is convicting anyone.
guilty as charge beyond reasonable doubt.
penalty: PASAGASA SA MRT
the last time i checked, this site is pro-american military… now all this bullshit happened in the first place bcoz of America’s anti-terrorism campaign… the President wants to impress the Americans at the expense of the Fallen44, this is what you get with sucking the US GetReal… the thing is, u have nothing to blame but yourself, you people in this site…
“the President wants to impress the Americans at the expense of the Fallen44”
So,your president whole purpose is merely “to impress”. In native lingo, PASKIKLAB…ganoon ba yon?!. Abnoy talaga. What a succinct observation and admission of your president’s gross incompetence from a loyal member of the Yellowtard Army. BS Aquino should be tried for treason along with his generals.
Better watch out what you say or write, you could be dishonorably discharged! Now, give me 50 push-ups.
@REY-AN
What the…? When did you last check? Please specify where you saw the statement “GRP is pro-American military”.
Holy **** !! Looks like the Yellow Army managed to find its way even here … If you can’t accept that Noynoy Aquino is incompetent, I feel sorry for you trolls. Truth hurts Guy !!! Live with it !!!
@Stolz_Lam
Mabait si pnoy kahit ginagago na ay “laid off na may pakimkim ang resback”. Dapat ay ganoon din ang ginawa niya ke Corona
This video speaks the TRUTH about you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAKG-kbKeIo
Son, accept it or go home. Accept the fact that you’re indeed… a real-life RETARD. BTW, you can’t reply back since it’s all 100% TRUE.
The most infuriating of these excuses is #4- “Self Defense”. Self defense totally involves walking up to a guy lying on the ground, suffering intense pain and blowing their head off. As well as taking their gear. Self defense. sure.
What’s also interesting to note that they government couldn’t send any backup when they requested for help. Yet when it came to protests, mountains upon mountains of police men and soldiers were deployed.
At the end of the day, these excuses serve to do nothing other than waste time while the problem simply gets worse. And if Mindanao ends up becoming a Malaysian state, its definitely going to set the Philippine standard to a new low. Which in turn will make the Philippines appear so weak that it is just there waiting to be devoured by it surrounding countries.
The sheer facts of that particular policeman’s death (as well as the finding that 27 of the 44 dead received headshots) should make the “self-defense” defense untenable. But recall that the MILF in the guise of Mohagher Iqbal is employing this line, not the Aquino administration.
Read the article @Pallacertus. The excuse is being attributed to Iqbal. This piece is a summary of ALL excuses being used by ALL who have contributed to this tragic crisis.
The MILF made that excuse and it looks like President BS Aquino’s government would endorse that excuse if it could get away with it.
Malacanang and the MILF are acting like a team in this conflict if you haven’t noticed yet, see. Which is why people are asking that team: Whose side are you on? Are they on the side of the Filipino people?
Perhaps ask the MILF if they even consider themselves Filipinos. They probably will have to consult with Kuala Lumpur first before answering that question.
Porky Drilon says “there is nothing more to explain.”, but could that mean:”I really hope that you stop asking us questions because the answers will get us all hanged!”? IDK, have to prove it,huh?
But seriously, does anyone see a pattern here?
At the end of every Filippine President’s term, the people are screaming for ‘CHANGE’….and want the President out of office (except those who are in office playing musical chairs). The next president comes in to office and the exact same thing happens.The countries citizens remain broke as stale jokes and the same people remain in charge AND NOTHING GETS CHANGED, NOTHING.
The same shit, over and over and over and over! as if a slow-motion,yet nauseating, merry-go-round is being riden by the people and the rich (the people in power) are watching the riders puke all over themselves in slow motion….and laughing about it.
It is not a sleep the people are in and its not time to wake-up.Nope, that was a long time ago.The people are in a coma and are dying, slow tragic deaths.
BTW, has anyone group or person claimed responsibility for the deaths of the 44 soldiers?
Militia’s/insurgents and terrorists are all usually pretty quick to lay claim to their handiwork.if no one or group has, HHHMMMM………
Everyone is pointing his/her finger to somebody else.No one wants to accept responsibility. Anyway, they have a good Escape Goat, named SAF Chief Napenas. He will be crucified for their sins.
I don’t believe that Aquino is Clueless on the SAF operation. Neither, do I believe that Roxas is Clueless…Roxas is trying to save his Presidential ambition. This dude failed in the Typhoon Yolanda crisis. He failed again in this SAF murders….Roxas is as incompetent as Aquino.
Blame Game is here to stay…it is the Game that Aquino and his cahoots play..
@Hyden Toro707 only napenas ..the rest are not directly involved like mar roxas. According to the outcome of the investigation, only Napenas is a sole responsible to the death ang pnoy has nothing to do because for the whole week ,he is only playing video game as an excuse.And Napenas only received a pink envelope with bapaon..and the word negative negative standown ay narinig lang sa video game in abnoy
@Sigaw sa Palacio:
Napenas died for their sins…he became the “Escape Goat”…pinaghugasan ng mga kasalanan at katarantaduhan nila.
Mar Roxas knew about the operation. When the operation became tragic; he distanced himself from it; and professed “ignorance”…Aquino knew about it, also. Catapang (Ka Duwag), and that corrupt former Police Chief,Purisima, who was suspended, but oversaw the Operation, knew about it…
Porky Drillon is a rabid defender of Aquino. So, Porky Drillon wants us to Move On? After 44 SAF soldiers/Police were killed , and our tax money was given to MILF/ISIS/Al Queda. We move on, forget everything about it?
Lasengo Escudero who is also a cahoot of Aquino, stated: “There is no more to explain”…
Maybe, Lasengo Escudero is still in his honeymoon hangover. Of course, there are a lot to explain. Many unanswered questions.
Deles and Ferrer are not suffering from “Stockholm Sundrome”…I suspect , they are both profiting financially on the MILF negotiation…they are selling us , for “thirty pieces of silver”…”Mga Hudas!!!”
De Lima, with her Driver Lover, does not believe in Command Responsibility. Japanese Imperial Army Gen. Yamashita was hanged in Los Banos, Laguna; for Command Responsibility.
The Germany Nazi Leaders were hanged, after the Nuremberg Trial, by the Allies, on the issue of Command Responsibilty. Perhaps, we can Hang also De Lima, and her Driver Lover, for refusing to understand Command Responsibility.
We have leaders, who are selling us down the river…
Excuse to protect PNoy insinuates conspiracy which I don’t see in the enumeration of excuses. Or even if without conspiracy, that the events just evolved on their own still wouldn’t make sense simply for the following reason.
Mar Roxas cannot protect PNoy for admitting he has no knowledge of the operation. Roxas ignorance has actually put PNoy on the spot. Roxas would be of no service to PNoy’s defense because his lack of knowldege of the operation makes him worthtless to vouch for the president’s innocence.
The same with Purisima. His presence or absence in the case will not be of help to PNoy because either way he can be made irrelevant for the simple reason that he was officially suspended at the time of the Mamasapano operation.
His denial on his participation, by insisting he merely gave advice and not an order is of no moment because, either advice or order, PNoy will be hard put to explain why a suspended officer was able to give official instructions to the raiding group that were subsequently killed. And that is what we’re seeing right now.
If for example the operation succeeded and Purisima claimed credit for it, PNoy will still be held to explain why a suspended official gets to violate his suspension order. And any credit Purisima will get from the operation will be eventually questioned not only by the public but also those who took part in the operation itself.
On the issue of chain of command, I also don’t see how it can be use to excuse PNoy which confuses further the issue by inserting EO 226 on neglect of duty which is not present in the Mamasapano case. To the contrary, the PNP personnel was acting on official duty by virtue of an official order. So, how can we apply EO 226 there? Any insinuation of neglect to be able to make the chain of command possible will start from the police officers’ rank upwards to the PNP chief and, if necessary, will end at the doorsteps of Malacanang. I say, that would be a very weak excuse to take if you are protecting someone.
The inclusion of the MILF as part of the excuse to protect PNoy is at best preposterous. I cannot figure out how killing PNP personnel and calling it self-defense can be use to protect the president who is the commander in chief of those who died? And to think PNoy will thank them for it is mind-boggling.
With regard to Peace Process Sec. Teresita Deles, she is not protecting the president, she is just being stupid for saying those things. Even if she wants to she cannot make excuses for PNoy because by her sticking to the notion of coordination it is already a damning proof that the president who is on top of the situation was equally guilty for failing to coordinate within the parameters of the agreement with the MILF. That is the implication of the stupidity she was saying.
Reason no. 6 is the worst of all. By admitting he was given inaccurate or wrong information, PNoy was practically destroying the existence of any excuse that could be favorable to him. How can you protect your self if you admit you failed in your job?
In all honesty, what happened was really indefensible. Inexcusable. No explanation of any kind will convince the public that the government will come out with clean hands on the botch operation in Mamasapano. No amount of cover-up will protect PNoy for distancing himself in an event that took the lives of 44 PNP personnel whose jurisdiction falls squarely under his authority.
And I believe there is really no one offering an excuse to protect PNoy not only because they simply cannot do it but also because the confusion brought about by evasion is very visible.
As we say in Tagalog, buking na buking.
Your discussion is very commendable, jameboy, but I still think that all the people you mentioned are really trying to protect the president by relying on the fact that so many Filipinos are not intelligent enough to figure out that whatever they say, the president is accountable for the incident because he allowed (or perhaps even appointed) a suspended policeman to head the operation. In fact, I think they’re succeeding as I know that a number of Filipinos are already confused about the matter.
“… I still think that all the people you mentioned are really trying to protect the president…”
========
But you have to have basis for it to give it some weight. You have to give justification why certain individuals are out to protect the president and how they are doing it and why, you think, they are succeeding or failing.
@Chrissie
They even used the Grace Poe as a proof that abnoy has nothing to do. They think Poe’s conclusion on the massacre is legal to believe.
Don’t blame Poe, she only dancing to the music or loose her citizenship
i still am waiting for the answers to these questions…why were you dealing with the suspended PNP chief…why did you listen to his “advices”… since you are the master of the blame game, i am not surprised, that you are not owning up to the fact that you had knowledge before, during and after the operation and did nothing to save the lives of the SAF..if there is any decency left in you..you know what to do
We are all trying to use our logical minds, but this is one time that we might as well listen to those who think more with their emotion. Maybe, with our logicality we are not the ones that could give a good picture of what might have transpired. My driver, whom we call Onyok, said a lot of things about Mamasapano which amused me. I am trying here to recall what he has said, and you will see that emo people have better gut-feel.
By way of intro, Onyok voted for P-Noy in 2010. He admired his president for not being involved in any scandal until the SC ruling on DAP when for the first time, he said: “Ay, magnanakaw din pala.” Onyok was the one who put a yellow ribbon in my car because I could not tell him I was voting for Gibo. There was no point in explaining to him that Gibo had the best resumé and that party affiliation didn’t mean a thing in PHL. If he knew I voted for Gibo, he would have deemed me unpatriotic since Gibo was associated with Gloria, who was to him the worst leader the PHL had. (I was happy with the DAP ruling because finally the yellow sticker in my car disappeared.)
Here is what Onyok said re Mamasapano:
1. As a reaction to the first press conference by Mar Roxas and Espina, Onyok could not believe what he was hearing. Mar Roxas and Espina were not in the loop and 44 SAF are dead. “Bakit nag-press pa sila? Aksaya oras yan ginagawa nila. Ngayon na alam na nila, bakit hindi nila sugurin agad yun kampo para maka-ganti na Bakit may imbestigasyon pa? Kalokohan!. Duda na ako dito kay Mar. Dapat resign sya o pa-unahan nya ang pagsugod. Basta hindi pwede babakla-bakla kung gusto nya maging presidente.”
2. Probably after having his normal chit-chats with other drivers in drivers’ lounges, or reading tabloids, or whatever sources he gets his info, or tsismis, he offers an opinion a day or two after. “Sir, sigurado sangkot ang presidente. May balita, pinigilan nya pala ang mga tropang sasaklolo sana para lang sa tinutulak nyang peace treaty. Wala na ata akong bilib kay P-Noy — natataranta na sya sa dapat gawin sa dami ng dapat asukasuhin. …..Kawawa naman yun Napeñas na malamang sumusunod lang ng utos ng taas.”
3. “Bakit para atang nagtatago si P-Noy? Bata pa ata talaga utak nya. Hindi marunong pag naiipit.”
4. As a reaction to the first #NANA. “Ma-utak din talaga eto si P-Noy. Iniwas nya sarili nya. Dadaanin lahat sa mga imbestigasyon, pwede naman sagutin lahat ng derechohan.”
5. “Nandun si FVR, Erap, Roxas, Binay….halos lahat (in Villamor). Disgrasya, lalu sya pagdududahan.”
6. “Bumawe, inisa-isa nya pamilya (of the SAF44). Baka sinusubukan nyang bilhin mga biyuda. …Malaking insulto kung sakali. Hindi naman lahat ng mahirap mukhang pera, hindi ba, sir?” Okay lang yun binili nya mga senador dahil dapat lang masipa yun Corona — si Corona ang dahilan kung bakit nawalan ng trabaho pinsan ko sa PAL.”
7. “Kung yan Senado papalabasin na nag-aaway ang army at pulis, lusot si P-Noy.” (What an insight, I would say.)
8. On the Senate Hearing. “Hindi ba tama ako, sir? –lumalabas hindi nagkakaintindihan army at pulis, lusot na si P-Noy. ….Mukhang milyun kapalit, sinasalo sya ni Purisima at Napeñas. …..umandar nanaman eto si Brenda (Miriam Santiago) — salbahe talaga eto si Purisima, pinahamak nya P-Noy. ….. Ewan ko, puros kasinungaling yan mga Muslim. ….talagang may tinatago si P-Noy, nagbobo-bobohan si Roxas, Gazmin at yun tatlong heneral. ….ano ba yan, kunwari lahat sila bobo, pwede ba yun? ….sayang si Grace Poe — napaka-intelihente pa naman. Bakit sya pumayag sumama sa sabwatan na pagtakpan si P-Noy. Bihira talagang mga mayayaman na may puso — pinabaya-an nila yun 44, tapos ngayon lahat sila puros drama lang.”
9. “Bakit parang kaaway na nya yun mga biyuda. Sabi ko na nga ba, hindi sila pwedeng bilhin — nakahanap si P-Noy ng mga katapat nya. Akala ng Malacañang lahat nalang pera-pera. ….Eto si P-Noy, alam nyang makukulong sya pag lumabas ang katotohanan, kaya lahat na lang ng katarantaduhan ginagawa nila — mga gago sila. Dahil sa pera, wala silang pagmamahal sa mga Pilipino.”
10. Then, he surprised me. “Mukhang tama kayo, sir. Dapat nga si Gibo presidente natin.”
*****
P-Noy was voted into office by emotion. He will be undone by the same? We will see if this is true.
Thanks so much for this, Add! I enjoyed reading it, and it gave me hope, making me realize that indeed, simplicity can make one think more clearly and thus arrive at the right conclusions. Kudos to your driver Onyok!May his tribe increase!!
Ganyan talaga tingin sa mga karaniwang mamamayan, na hindi nila alam na pinapaikot lang sila pero ang totoo alam nila na pinapaikot lang sila ng gobyerno. Siguro mas apt sabihin na short ang attention span pero dahil iyon sa kapag nasusukol na ang may sala, magpapalabas sila ng panibagong pag-uusapan. Ilang eksenang katulad ng hearing ngayon na ang nagdaan pero tumatagal lang ang usapan at hindi napaparusahan ang dapat maparusahan, alam ng tao ‘yan kaya nga kung hindi pa sila susugod sa mga kalsada at sa harap ng Malacañang, kongreso, senado o saligang bayan, balik lagi sa square one. Kahit ‘yong mga pinakakikay at sports fanatic na kilala ko na hindi mo maririnig magbulalas ng opinyon tungkol sa issue sa gobyerno tumingin sa first hand evidence (‘yong mga video ng pagpatay) at kinabukasan pagdating sa trabaho bumulalas ng, “Grabe pala talaga ang ginawa. Talagang siniguradong patay wala na ngang laban.”
Kung marami pang Onyok ang maririnig, siguradong mabubuhay ang hustisya sa bayan natin.
Thanks, Chrissie and Diego, for your reactions.
We can’t gauge the real impact of Mamasapano on the mentality of Onyok, and people like him, whose hope for change were buoyed up by the election campaign slogan of P-Noy. I can tell you that the other day I was told he was asking my maid: “Tutulungan kaya ako ni sir para makapunta ako ng Saudi o Dubai?” I don’t know how serious he is about it, but the timing could tell us that Mamasapano may have something to do with it. I don’t know, and I don’t want to ask. But if indeed he is serious, then it is heartbreaking.
I don’t know how many Onyoks there are. There must be a lot for they have been able to vote P-Noy into office by their sheer number. But, we all know the feeling when hope is dashed. It is the opposite of a roller coaster ride, the high comes from a hope being cherished somewhere within, but when hope is knocked down, then frustration and disappointment set in. I know I may be exaggerating things, but we also don’t know the psychological make-up of these people. But, if an exaggeration is not attempted from time to time, then we might fall into that insensitivity amply exhibited by P-Noy, which we now abhor.
The point is we know P-Noy has already been killing all of us slowly inch by inch, one day at a time from Day One. He has been running the country via slogan and PR, with no substance to back them up. P-Noy ignored manufacturing and agriculture which sectors generate the most employment. Thus, we can’t understand why he is bragging about high credit ratings, which, by the way, can be bought, and about a bullish economy, which is really driven by OFW, BPO, hot money, etc, to all of which he had no input to account for. And now that economic dampeners are showing up like the scheduled black-outs, the worsening port congestion, etc., we clearly see that, really, he has just been sitting on his lazy ass and been banking on the roll of the dice. His is the only administration in the world that fucked up a mass transport, something very critical to economies. But see, we know these. How about the Onyoks? They have been hoodwinked by slogans, PR, and all sorts of govt propaganda.
Maybe, Onyok also knows now. Mamasapano highlighted the massacre of 44 SAF operatives because the commander-in-chief didn’t care if they were massacred. It is glaring because the killiing was gory enough just for one day. But what about the silent, almost undetected, daily killings that continues to be happening? By the actuations of P-Noy and his ilks in the aftermath, they have ratcheted up the killing of hope, which is more excruciating, of maybe 4,400,000, some of whom may even be envying the 44 who no longer have to die slowly, day-in and day-out, and yet are heroes. I think that is the much bigger tragedy than Mamasapano per se..
Hi Add
Love the wisdom of your driver! At least he is not arrogant and accepts that he made a mistake in voting for PNoy. A lot of the high-profile Aquino supporters are still in denial or are too arrogant to accept they made a mistake. I read somewhere that Harvey Keh doesn’t mind being called a Noytard. I don’t even use Noytard in referring to PNoy supporters but this guy is so beholden to PNoy that he doesn’t mind coming across like a retard especially when he turns a blind eye to PNoy’s violations. No wonder the country is going nowhere.
..Hi, Ilda.
Well, we are dealing with two things here we already know: (a) Pinoy Pride and (b) personality cult.
We can’t underestimate simpletons like Onyok. I think some of them have the same quad core in between their ears as us. The only difference is we probably have more apps at our disposal because of education and so forth. Because of their conditions in life, they could spew garbage because it is garbage in-garbage out. To correct them, we have to be conscious of the pinoy pride in them. We have to guide them without them knowing they are being guided, to teach them without them knowing they are being taught. The hardest of course is to make them realize that it is more rewarding to bet on principles than on personalities. You are looking at time, patience, and at setting no target that you will ever get through to them because we are really talking of abstract things.
It is only with big events as that of Mamasapano that finally what you have been casually been conversing with them in the last 2,… 5, …10 years suddenly has a concrete vehicle by which they can make things converge in their mind. Well, you really just hope something big, not neccessarily as deadly as Mamasapano happens. Sometimes, you get lucky; at other times, no.. If they don’t have a quad core brain, then they will just not get it, and you just shrug your shoulder and let things be. I always knew Onyok had some brain, so I just watch him take it all in, and let him make his own conclusions. Hopefully, he also realizes now that there is no point in pinoy pride or in personality cults.
The likes of Harvey Keh, of course, presents a totally different challenge — a more difficult one. Like us, I guess, he he has to suppress pinoy pride, as well as try to be aware if intellectual pride is not overtaking him. The problem with intellectual pride is that they can generate principles if only to justify what is really just an admiration of a personality, and when that proves to be a mistake, to find more justifications and to even make that sound as if it were a fundamental principle. So, we dont see the resignations of PNoy, Binay, and other erring officials. And the more they know of their mistakes, the more they cling to their offices. Harvey would be no different from these guys.
Oh, by the way, Ilda, you again have a great article up there.
pnoy said, move on, move on to signing of BBL-sharia law, so hacienda luisita will be save through ancestral domain hehe, that’s what they, the aquinos, are fighting for since the era of marcos. pnoy will do everything or else their fight will be lost, and he can’t afford that it’s his parents fight to take the land from the farmers.
@ jeni
Farmers lands being taken from them by legitimate landowners? Where is this idea coming from?
Marcos’ used his unconstitutional martial law powers to declare the Hacienda Luisita part of his land reform program. It was nothing but a personal and political vendetta against Ninoy Aquino. Why didn’t Marcos go after the Ayala-Zobels who owns practically every piece of land in Makati and surrounding areas of the province of Rizal. @jeni, check your facts and use more caution next time.
@LA702, you’re too young to know everything man. pnoy will do all to retake again luisita, cuz that’s what they’ve been fighting for, and died for. and that’s the roots of all these mess in your motherland. to steal luisita from the farmers. now they lost their ‘LABAN’ ninoy came home to save luisita, not to save the people from marcos. they’ll never succeed retaking the land again. everybody knows that it’s not theirs.
@ jeni
When the evil Ferdinand Marcos decreed by the stroke of his pen to use his absolute unconstitutional power under martial law to illegally award every piece of the Hacienda Luisita to every farmer in the province of Tarlac, Marcos committed a crime for one reason and one reason alone, to destroy and punish a political enemy.
Now, under this circumstances, if you owned Hacienda Luisita, would you not under the law by all legal and constitutional means reclaim what was legally yours?
I had been to Hacienda Luisita when I worked with the late Rep.Jose Yap of the 2nd district of Tarlac and don’t know any farmer that could borrow money from a bank let alone owned a piece of land. @ jeni, you don’t know anything and whatever information you have are purely hearsay at best. I know the Marcos land reform program, it was unconstitutional, I suggest the present Philippine congress must delete every thing on the books that were written during the evil martial law years. It doesn’t belong in history, it belongs in the congressional warehouse.
@ jeni, read the book Marcos Dynasty written by investigative author Sterling Seagrave so you will have an idea what Marcos was all about.
@LA702, then what about the Hacienda Luisita massacre?
@ Sick Amore
Members of the press were present during the Hacienda Luisita demonstrations. If the intent were to massacre a group of people, why allow the press?
Clearly, there were instigators and whatever happened next were the result of intense anger and frustrations. The political opposition called the unfortunate event a massacre and people believed it up to this day. We know media sensationalism sells at the expense of others. It has to change.
@LA702, what about the signing in 1957 where the philippine government bought hacienda luisita for the farmers thru peoples money and entrusted it to ninoy’s father in law Jose. the signing says, it should be in 10 year’s time, in 1967, it should be divided to farmer’s beneficiaries and they, cojuangco clan side of cory, did they give it to the farmers? the aquinos is not the owner of the land. ninoy was there just an administrator of the government for the farmers to teach the farmers how to be productive on the land. that’s why he wants to be in power so he can make all the maneuverings to steal the land. am sure you’re not yet born during those days.
@LA702, do you know why pnoy rushing the BBL? because it’s the only way to save luisita through ancestral domain. he’s committing already treason. Marcos just did right on martial law to save the country from destruction, look at it now. the issue is still luisita how to save it. isn’t it land grabbing? treason? betrayal? violations?
@LA702
A big question. During martial law, as u said has no law either and marcos can annex that hacienda. How come Couangco still have it.
The ONLY person from the onset who has taken and accepted responsibility for this is SAF Chief Napenas. All the other fools are too busy blaming each other and everybody else! The very idea that P-Nut would allow a suspended PNP Officer to run this is totally beyond me! It simply lacks logic. The fact that De Lima doesn’t know her ass from a hole in the ground or the definition of “Command Responsibility” is of no surprise. She showed her true “color” shortly after the HK Bus Hostage fiasco. Noytards are quick to blame so-called “US involvement” to no avail. The truth is out and you guys (Noytards) are no longer relevant or of any significance. Enjoy the downward spiral!
@Jetlag807
I felt sorry for him after watching the video of him briefing Mar and other department heads. I’m sure he was just following Purisima’s orders who acted like he wasn’t suspended. PNoy’s buddies act like they are members of the royal family, indeed.
Whatever negative we say about those crooks, even if we bash them endlessly, still the last laugh is on them. They have these bounty of 5million usd. Probably Aquino couldn’t accept the fact that those trustees he have took advantage of him. Well,that’s life.
The trouble with excuses, however, is that they become inevitably difficult to believe after they’ve been used a couple of times. He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
So Marcos should not have been liable for the crimes his minions executed supposedly upon his order?
Where is this question coming from?