"x x x.
"While the Commission commiserates with the families of the victims and acknowledges that the killing of the Fallen 44 was unjustified, categorizing the incident as a “massacre” is excessive.
The mere use of high-powered firearms and mortars does not automatically equate to cruelty, inasmuch as it was not clearly established who, between the MILF and BIFF, used what. Moreover, this characterization also overlooks the fact that the SAF were armed, albeit outgunned. In other words, although their situation was dire, the SAF were not necessarily “helpless or unresisting.”
Worse, the Senate Report describes the situation as akin to walking into a trap. This equates the incident to an ambush, which is not borne out by the records because the MILF itself, much less the BIFF, was unaware of the arrival of the SAF.
One must not overlook the fact that, outside of the Fallen 44, there were five (5) civilian and 17 MILF casualties, resulting in the death of a total of 66 Filipinos, including a child of 8 years of age. In relation to this, the Commission has consistently requested for full access to the complete autopsy reports on members of the Fallen 44, so that a rigorous investigation may be conducted on the circumstances surrounding the alleged shooting to the head, at close range, of 27 members of the Fallen 44. If confirmed by the autopsy reports, these killings would be evidence of gross violations of international humanitarian law, warranting the filing of charges under RA 9851."
READ THE STATEMENT OF CHAIPERSON LORETTA ANN P. ROSALES ON THE SENATE REPORT ON THE MAMASAPANO INCIDENT: http://www.opapp.gov.ph/
Photo by UNTV news
The mere use of high-powered firearms and mortars does not automatically equate to cruelty, inasmuch as it was not clearly established who, between the MILF and BIFF, used what. Moreover, this characterization also overlooks the fact that the SAF were armed, albeit outgunned. In other words, although their situation was dire, the SAF were not necessarily “helpless or unresisting.”
Worse, the Senate Report describes the situation as akin to walking into a trap. This equates the incident to an ambush, which is not borne out by the records because the MILF itself, much less the BIFF, was unaware of the arrival of the SAF.
One must not overlook the fact that, outside of the Fallen 44, there were five (5) civilian and 17 MILF casualties, resulting in the death of a total of 66 Filipinos, including a child of 8 years of age. In relation to this, the Commission has consistently requested for full access to the complete autopsy reports on members of the Fallen 44, so that a rigorous investigation may be conducted on the circumstances surrounding the alleged shooting to the head, at close range, of 27 members of the Fallen 44. If confirmed by the autopsy reports, these killings would be evidence of gross violations of international humanitarian law, warranting the filing of charges under RA 9851."
READ THE STATEMENT OF CHAIPERSON LORETTA ANN P. ROSALES ON THE SENATE REPORT ON THE MAMASAPANO INCIDENT: http://www.opapp.gov.ph/
Photo by UNTV news
x x x."
