Trillanes: Information from closed-door Mamasapano hearings clear PNoy

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday said President Benigno Aquino III is not liable for the Mamasapano mission last year, based on information revealed during the closed-door hearings on the bloody operation last  year that left 44 police commandos dead.

"As far as the senators are concerned, nakita namin yung buong storya, at least yung mga nakinig, pero kailangang malaman ng mga kababayan natin iyon para maiwasan na ‘yung ganitong pangyayari," Trillanes told reporters.

The senator said he will ask for the release of the information revealed during the closed-door hearings.

“Ibang-iba ang makikita ng media at mga kababayan natin [kapag inilabas yung pinag-usapan sa executive session]. Hindi n’yo na iisipin na liable si Presidente Aquino, you won’t even consider that,” he added.

He said he will make the motion during the reopening of the probe on Wednesday.

“I will make that motion tomorrow para makita n’yo iyong [buong] picture talaga,” he said.

Trillanes had earlier pushed for the release of the transcript of the executive session, but he said he would be amenable even if they would only listen to the voices of the resource persons.

“That’s even better kasi nakakatamad basahin yung transcripts e. Sa akin kasi 'pag pinayagan  na i-release sa public yung proceedings sa executive session we can freely discuss it sa media," he said.

He added: "Ako, to be redundant, yung mga nakita kong material na testimony  dun sa executive  session ininterview ko personally so that i was able to discuss it freely but it wasn’t as universally covered as the hearings."

He said that once the information from the executive session are revealed, people would understand why there is an impression that the President did nothing to save the Special Action Force commandos,

“Tinatanong bakit walang ginawa si Presidente, eh the thing is yun nga mismong mga SAF na nanduduon walang ginawa. Bakit wala silang ginawa? Ang sinabi nung isang enlisted man from the Philippine Army, hinihila niya yung mga SAF member, yung blocking force, na saklolohan yung 55th SAC (Special Action Company), ayaw nila dahil natatakot sila. That’s it. That solves the whole problem,” he said.

The 55th SAC was tasked as the blocking force to secure the withdrawal of the main SAF team, the 84th SAC (Seaborne), which was tasked to enter the hut in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao, where Indonesian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir and Filipino bomber Abdul Basit Usman was hiding. 

The 55th SAC lost 35 men while nine members of the main assault team were killed.

“Kung pumasok sila doon iba dapat ang istorya, nasaklolohan nila dapat yung mga kasamahan nila. Hindi ka na aakyat (ng sisi) sa Army, hindi ka na pupunta kay PNoy lalo na. Kasi doon pa lang tapos na yung problema kung hindi natakot yung mga SAF na kasama nila,” Trillanes added. —ALG, GMA News