Senators to interview PNP-SAF troopers who survived Mamasapano clash

(Updated 1:55 p.m.) The senators are set to interview in an executive session Thursday afternoon two of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force troopers who survived the Mamasapano clash on Jan. 25.

 

Senator Grace Poe, chairman of the committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said they will conduct the executive session with the survivors around 2:30 p.m.

“We have a very vital executive session where we have to interview the two survivors and for their security we cannot have them here so we will try to finish this [hearing] at 2:30 so we can go to an executive session,” Poe said. The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs chaired by Poe is conducting a hearing Thursday on the Mamasapano clash.

 

The survivors to be interviewed are PO2 Christopher Lalan who was part of the 55th Company and Supt. Raymond Train who was part of the group which attacked the house where Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan was hiding.

The PNP-SAF troopers had an hours-long gunfight with forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and its splinter group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25 right after Marwan was killed. Forty-four SAF troopers were killed.

 

The interview will be closed to the media. —KG, GMA News