Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar on Sunday said President Rodrigo Duterte seeks to review the probes on the Mamasapano incident in 2015 and Davao City bombing in 2002 to determine the United States' alleged involvement.
Andanar told radio dzBB that many questions are still unanswered by the probe of the Philippine National Police' Board of Inquiry (BOI) on the deadly operation in 2015, where 44 Special Action Force commandos were killed.
"Kaya nabanggit at nadugtong doon yung sabi ni Presidente na pabubuksan niya yun para malaman kung sino ba yung nakialam sa Mamapasano. Saan galing ang order? Sino yung mga personalidad? Gusto niya malaman because yun nga, marami pang question na naiwan after the investigation na ginawa ng PNP," Andanar said.
"Bitin tayo. There are so many questions that were left open that needs to be answered," he added.
However, Andanar said no direct orders has been issued by Duterte to formally reopen the investigation and which agency will handle the case.
Duterte expressed his intention to reopen the Mamasapano probe during his speech at the Philippines-China Trade and Investment Forum in Beijing.
Duterte said he wondered who received the $5 million reward offered by the US government for the capture of terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan, the main target of the operation.
The report from the BOI found at least six Americans were with police officials at the Tactical Command Post in Shariff Aguak, but the US Federal Bureau of Investigation denied it had knowledge of the operation.
Probe includes 2002 Davao City bombing
Meanwhile, Andanar said the bombing in Davao City in 2002 will also be reinvestigated since it involves an alleged American suspect.
"If we draw again to the experience of the President noong panahong may sumabog sa Davao sa kuwarto ni Michael Terrence Meiring, naputol yung kanyang dalawang paa and then he was airlifted from Davao, taken out of the hospital without even the knowledge of the mayor," Andanar said.
The PCO official was referring to the case when US Embassy officials took Meiring from a Davao City hospital and brought him to Singapore, despite charges of possession of explosives.
Duterte, who was Davao City Mayor in 2002, called the incident as disrepectful during his speech at the Davao International Airport upon arrival from his state visit to China on Friday.
Andanar echoed the sentiments of Duterte since both the Davao bombing and the Mamasapano incident allegedly involved American meddling, and whether the America respects its allies' laws.
"Ang tanong ay yung pakikialam ng Amerika at yung respeto sa ating batas dahil hindi na binalik [si Meiring]. Idudugtong mo yan sa Mamapasano na marami pa ring question, along the context of cases na merong Amerikano na diumano'y involved dito sa bansa natin," Andanar said.
SOURCE: GMA
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