PNoy lef SAF 44 to death

Batas Mauricio

THE cat is figuratively and literally out of the bag, so to speak, insofar as the Mamasapano massacre of 2015 is concerned: former President Aquino literally led the 44 policemen from the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to their deaths, just to please intelligence officials of the United States.

At least, this was what President Duterte revealed on Jan. 24, 2017, during ceremonies in Malacanang aimed to commemorate the murder of the 44 policemen in the hands of rebels from Mindanao. Duterte’s disclosures, coupled with his formation of a commission to investigate the massacre, would now pave the way for the long-awaited criminal indictment of Aquino.

This is another proof that the long arm of the law will catch up with criminal offenders, no matter how long it may take, and no matter how strong the maneuvers that were undertaken to shield those who should be held criminally liable. I am sure that the families of the slain policemen would only be too happy with what Duterte had done!

Let me share with you a column on March 2015 about Aquino’s liability for the Mamasapano incident: “… Aquino was the one who gave the go-signal and allowed the execution of Oplan Exodus, or the police operation plan designed to capture and neutralize Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, who is otherwise known as Marwan, the Board of Inquiry (BOI) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), disclosed the other day in its report on the Marwan operation.

“The report is now known as `The Mamasapano Report’. This explosive conclusion of the board confirms earlier accusations that the Marwan operation which the PNP (SAF) carried out on January 25, 2015 was actually ordered by Aquino himself, debunking in the process contrary claims by the Office of the President and by the President himself about his participation in the operation where 44 SAF officers and men were mercilessly killed by enemies of the State.

“But, Aquino did not only give the go-signal and allowed the execution of Oplan Exodus after the concept of operations was presented to him by Director Special Action Force (SAF) Police Director Getulio Napenas, according to the BOI report. The Board also found Aquino of having committed several violations of existing laws and regulations, as well as legitimate orders of duly constituted authorities.”

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Just what exactly did Sen. Panfilo Lacson want Director General Ronald dela Rosa of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to do to rid the police organization of rouges, scalawags, murderers, and misfits?

I raise this question because Lacson was a former PNP chief himself, and, despite his well-publicized campaign to instill discipline in the force during the time of former President Joseph Estrada, policemen remained rouges, scalawags, murderers, and misfits, capable of murder, kidnapping, and many other heinous crimes.

Lacson owes it not only to dela Rosa but to the entire Filipino nation as well to say specifically what would be required to instill discipline, and even the most basic good manners and right conduct among policemen, so that change can really come. As it is, however, Lacson would not be qualified to say anything since he clearly failed in his own efforts to truly cleanse the PNP of criminals.

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The criminal and devilish mind seems to afflict almost all Filipinos nowadays. It is apparent that almost all of us have become capable of criminality, at its most heinous forms yet. So the question that must be addressed by the citizenry in general, and by the police organization, in particular, is this: what is making Filipinos so criminal-minded today?

Criminal mindedness is to me the root cause of police brutality and criminality, as it is also the cause of corruption and abuse in government, and even in the private sector. To bring about change therefore–to stop police brutality and criminality, as well corruption and abuse in government and everywhere–it would be greatly necessary to address criminal mindedness.

Why are Filipinos capable of being criminals at this point? Why are their minds concededly controlled by evil? The answer is that, many of us grew up without God in our minds, hearts, bodies, and souls. Since God was not with us as we were growing up, the devil has gleefully taken control of most of us. Is there a remedy to this? Yes, and it is by going back to God, listening to, and obeying, Him, once more!

E-mail: batasmauricio@yahoo.com