Philippine rankings a disgrace in World Bank report

Aquino administration vs the World Bank

In the WB’s Ease of Doing Business 2016 report, which serves as a guide for investors and businesses doing business in various parts of the world, out of 189 countries studied, the Philippines slid six notches from 97th in the rankings in 2015, to 103rd in the 2016 report.

The new report was presented Wednesday by the International Finance Corp. (IFC), the World Bank’s private sector lending arm, at a media briefing.

The report’s unflattering findings on the Philippines could not have come at a more inopportune time for the Aquino administration, because the Philippines is hosting this November the summit of leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which will bring to our capital the leaders of the world’s biggest and most dynamic economies in the Asia-Pacific region.

The event is a coming-out party for which the Aquino administration has been preparing long and hard, believing that it will have the opportunity to show the world that the Philippines is the Asia-Pacific’s new and rising star. It is supposed to reinforce our earlier hosting of the World Economic Forum, wherein we billed our country as the “new Asian economic miracle.”

Alarmingly, the rankings and findings of the World Bank report contradict this message and image in almost every way.

So naturally, the administration, with Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima in the lead, is up in arms, protesting the WB report and criticizing it as erratic and questionable.

Purisima is the most incensed because he is the country’s most assiduous promoter and salesman. He concocted the slogan, “Good governance is good economics” as Aquino’s economic mantra. He invented the tale about a new Asian miracle, ignoring that the miracle already began in the years of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who the current President has arrested and keeps under arrest. And Purisima was entrusted with billions of public money to purchase investment grade ratings for the country from the world’s top credit-rating agencies.

Being ranked 103rd among 189 countries doesn’t square with these lofty claims. Indeed, it appears to belie them. And it grates when you consider that we are the 12th largest country in the world in terms of population.

At the Wednesday briefing, the IFC said that the country’s “overall ranking decline reflected the Philippines’ slight drops in most of the 10 sub-indicators of the Doing Business program.”

Shocking report
The report was a shock because Filipino officials actually expected an upgrade of the country’s position from 97th to 65th in the 2016 report.

Our National Competitiveness Council (NCC), whose reason for being was undercut by the WB report, criticized the IFC for using “erratic and unsound methodology,” and questioned the relevance of the annual rankings.

“Despite our efforts to introduce reform projects to improve the ease of doing business in the Philippines, IFC shows different sets of scores and rankings every year due to a change in methodology,” said Guillermo Luz, the private sector co-chairman of the NCC.

All the remonstrations notwithstanding, the cat is out of the bag.

One Philippine business magazine, BizNews Asia, merrily trumpeted the news in a cover and cover story, which declared “If you want to start a business, don’t start it in the Philippines.”

The magazine elaborated on the theme with this lengthy subhead:

“The World Bank ranks the Philippines 95th in ease of doing business, 161st in starting a business, 124th in dealing with construction permits, 108th in registering property, 104th in getting credit, 127th in paying taxes, 124th in enforcing contracts, 65th in trading across borders, and 50th in resolving insolvency. Considering that there are 189 economies, the Philippine rankings are a disgrace and put a lie to the claims of Daang Matuwid.”

Despite all the rhetoric of President Aquino about fighting corruption, his government has been ineffectual, incompetent and corrupt. - Full story on The Manila Times

Strong message from Archbishop Soc Villegas, CBCP head: "Speak the truth!"

Socrates Buenaventura Villegas is the curent Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Pangasinan and is the head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)

SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS

TRUTH AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The President and his advisers must give a full and satisfactory accounting of their actions in respect to this tragic loss. The targets of the SAF operations were characterized as "high value targets". If the police went after them, it can only be because they were ordered to do so. Policemen do not order themselves, not even members of the Special Action Force. Indeed, that is what corroborated statements now clearly establish: The decision was made on the highest levels to go after these "high value targets". The only thing that was awaited was "the window of opportunity", a judgment that is made by people on the ground.

Questions call for unequivocal and truthful answers. Lives were needlessly lost because in many ways the operation was covert. Why, for one, were the highest-ranking official of the Philippine National Police and his civilian superior, the Secretary of Interior and Local Government, left out of the loop of information, consultation and command? It seems that a suspended police officer played more than a merely advisory role. Why should he have been giving orders? And if he was in fact issuing orders and commands, should it not be clear that his authority to do so, precisely because he was laboring under a legitimate order of suspension, emanated from higher levels?

The concealment of truth or the foisting of deliberate falsehood even to shield one's superiors from embarrassment or to spare them indictment is always a moral wrong, especially in the context of legal processes and under oath. When one swears to tell the truth and invokes the help of God, one is morally obligated to speak the truth. We therefore urge all witnesses and all those in possession of information material to the resolution of facts in issue to speak the truth at all times.

Cardinal Vidal, bishops, faithful called on Aquino anew to step down

In a move that unified the stand of Ricardo Cardinal Vidal of Cebu and leading bishops of the Catholic and other Christian churches that support the National Transformation Council, Cardinal Vidal called on Benigno S. Aquino III to immediately relinquish his post as President of the Philippines.

At a press conference held at his residence in Ceby City today, February 13, 2015, Cardinal Vidal stated that "the National Transformation Council has strongly articulated that the President should step down."

A joint statement with other bishops further explained that "In our honest desire to protect our people from further degeneration, disasters and armed conflicts, we strongly demand that the whole government step down so our country can transform through a new and fresh start. Let the National Transformation Council, in a caretaker capacity, embrace the responsibility of forming a new government in a new system and context."

The bishops likewise cited the Mamasapano incident as "the summit of many mishandling of the President’s obligations, revealing the subterfuge of illegal, unconstitutional and immoral foundation of the present regime are now evident. The urgent call from the NTC for the stepping down of the president and his cohorts resonates the general feeling of the people. His misrule clearly indicates his illegitimate claim to the position. His continuing stay endangers the lives of our people and adversely affects the moral landscape of the nation."

Cardinal Vidal was joined by the following Catholic bishops and archbishops: Fernando Capalla, Davao Archbishop Emeritus; Romulo de la Cruz, Archbishop of Zamboanga; Ramon Arguelles, Archbishop of Lipa; Filomeno Bactol, Bishop of Naval; Jose Palma, Archbishop of Cebu; and Father Carlito Clase (on behalf of Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, Bishop of Butuan). Other Christian churches represented were Bishop Butch Belgica, Christians Bishops of the Philippines and Pastor Arthur Corpus, United Church of Manila.

AFP, PNP officers want Aquino to quit; Video Tribute to Fallen44 from PNP

February 4, 2015

by JOEL M. SY EGCO, MANILA TIMES

GET OUT Members of various groups march to Mendiola to seek justice for the 44 slain police commandos and call on President Benigno Aquino 3rd to resign. Photo by RUY MARTINEZ

ACTIVE and retired police and military officers and personnel have joined the clamor for the resignation of President Benigno Aquino 3rd and some are willing to come out to make their sentiments known, according to retired general Edilberto Adan, chairman and president of the Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO).

Adan, who once headed the Southern Command post, disclosed the apparent restiveness in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) amid warnings that the public outrage and discontent over the President’s handling of the Maguindanao tragedy may lead to an uprising.

“There are many who are discontented so it is possible that many in the ranks of active and retired (soldiers ad policemen) are supportive. However, in AGFO, we cannot ask them one by one or monitor them because we are 800 in all,” he said.

Adan confirmed that some retired senior officers are “actually eager” to surface and “make their presence felt” in support of ouster calls.

“But, again, these are individuals, not AGFO. There were discussions but no official position on the matter. What I can say is that there are some, not necessarily members of AGFO, who are eager to come out in the open,” he told The Manila Times.

Last week, AGFO condemned the killing of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) last January 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, describing the incident as a “heinous, barbaric massacre” that cannot be justified by ongoing peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, whose forces combined with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in clashing with the police commandos.

The group, composed mostly of retired star-rank military and police officers who are veterans of the Mindanao insurgency and the campaign against terrorist groups such as the Abu Sayyaf, sought the surrender of the perpetrators and the return of the firearms seized from the slain policemen.

AGFO called for a “swift and independent” investigation of the supposed “mis-encounter.”

Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz also on Wednesday said some relatives of the fallen commandos have also joined calls for the “peaceful” departure of the President.

In an interview with The Times, Cruz disclosed that as the ranks of disgruntled uniformed officers grow, so does the clamor for Aquino’s ouster.

“There are retired and there are active [officers from both the police and the military]. Mukhang may sumasama na ring nawalan ng kamag-anak sa mga namatay na SAF [It looks like there are relatives of the fallen police who are joining the clamor for Aquino to step down],” he said.

The archbishop earlier said he was approached by leaders of various groups who also asked Aquino to leave Malacanang.

“These are groups of people with different objectives but now have merged into one. These are cause-oriented groups who have united… And their number is continuously growing,” he added.

Cruz, however, clarified that no guns or goons will be used, meaning the groups are not planning to stage any form of a power grab.

“More and more are joining this group. They are tired of the leadership of Aquino.
They come from both the police and the military,” he said.

According to him, at least 15 bishops are actively supporting these groups, which he did not identify “so that they may not be compromised.”

“[There are bishops]. There are 15 bishops who are individually against the President. They don’t like him anymore. But this is not the CBCP (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines). CBCP is not among these groups,” Cruz said.

'Treason has been committed'

Treason has been committed, what should we do now?
by Francisco S. Tatad, The Manila Times

Until now docile and forgiving Filipinos have tended to look the other way as President B. S. Aquino 3rd routinely abused the Constitution. His crimes have piled up, but none of them had affected the nation as much as his ignoble and wretched response to the January 24 Maguindanao massacre of 44 members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF) by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

He failed to show enough sympathy and respect for the martyred policemen and their families, but he used the occasion as a platform to glorify his dead parents at the expense of their old enemies.

The 44 victims were among the finest in our police force. Nearly half of them were 26 years old and younger. They were killed while on a special mission to bring in two well-known Muslim terrorists–the Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli bin Hiralias “Marwan,” and his Filipino confederate, Basit Usman, who carried a combined bounty of $6 million from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. This was to be paid not to the apprehending peace officers but to the one who provided the information leading to the death or capture of the targets.

The Moros finished off the 44 after their support forces, which included a light armored brigade, deployed close to the area of operations, failed to respond to the calls for back-up, after they had been ordered to “stand down.”

#Heroic44 Credit: PNP PCRG

Unanswered and unasked questions.

Many questions remain unanswered. Some have not even been asked yet.

Just exactly who was running “Operation Wolverine,” as the operation was reportedly called? Under the PNP operational chain of command, the line of authority flows directly from the President and Commander-in-Chief to his alter-ego, the Secretary of Interior and Local Government, and then to the PNP chief and the Regional District Commander. But neither DILG Secretary Mar Roxas nor acting PNP chief Leonardo Espina nor the Regional Commander knew of the operation.

While DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, acting Director General Espina and SAF Director Getulio Napenas were in Cotabato after the massacre, a visibly angry Roxas reportedly asked Napenas, “Who authorized the SAF mission?” The latter reportedly responded, “the President.” Instead of complaining to Aquino, a visibly angry Roxas sackedNapenas on the spot for failing to coordinate with him.

Indeed, instead of following the established operational chain of command, Aquino created his own chain of command, effectively bypassing Roxas, Espina, and the Regional Commander, choosing to involve Director-General Alan Purisima alone, even though he had just begun serving a six-month suspension order from the Ombudsman because of corruption charges.

How did this happen?

Purisima was made “Case Officer” of Oplan Wolverine long before he was suspended, and this was never revoked even after his suspension. This was an inexcusable lapse, but aside from his being known to be Aquino’s personal favorite, this seemed the only other reason for his continued involvement in the project.

Now, the SAF is merely a “force provider,” that’s all. Even though Napenas has “assumed responsibility for everything,” it seems clear he has simply decided to take the fall in the name of the service. There is no reason to accept his self-incriminating statement, nor to agree with Gazmin, who was himself out of the loop, that Napenas was the ground commander. Neither could Roxas hold him accountable for failing to inform or coordinate with him.

It was the President’s task to course things through Roxas, following the established chain of command. But if Aquino had chosen to bypass Roxas, it was not Napenas’ duty to inform Roxas. His sacking therefore seems a completely unjustified tantrum on Roxas’ part.

Organizing the mission

Now, how was the Wolverine force organized? With a total of 392 commandos involved, this means 50 teams of eight members each. How were they chosen? Who put them together? How was the ground commander chosen? Who chose him, and what was his name? Regardless of what has already appeared in the media, these questions deserve forthright answers.

Who ordered the stand-down?

But the most important question of all is this: Who gave the order for the support forces to stand down? And why was it given? It was not only a simple tactical decision that a commander makes whether to defend a position or withdraw when pinned down. It was a political decision of the highest import made by the highest authority in charge of the entire operation. It could not have come from a mere ground commander. And there was no higher authority involved here than the President himself.

At the time, Aquino was in Zamboanga with Teresita Deles, the presidential adviser on the peace process, reportedly monitoring the operation from an intelligence facility inside the Western Mindanao command. At the same time, a civilian team from Deles’ office had reportedly entered the MILF camp in the middle of the gun battle, to negotiate with the MILF camp a cessation of the hostilities that had broken out in violation of the ceasefire agreement between the MILF and the government.

There is reason to believe that Aquino did not want to endanger the team’s mission. At the same time he was mortally afraid that if the government tanks started rolling in with all of the support forces, a fullscale military engagement would ensue, and its first immediate casualty would be his “peace process” and the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (Babala), which seeks to create a new political entity for the MILF to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, earlier created by law for the Moro National Liberation Front.

So the stand-down order was given, and the result is now history.

Photo: Rene H. Dilan

Aquino’s real role
Aquino has not had the courage to admit with candor his role in this tragedy. He had greater courage attacking his family’s dead enemies. He has pointed to Purisima as the one reportedly calling all the shots. This is unacceptable; it just doesn’t make sense. Given that Purisima remains suspended to this day, it is hardly credible that the SAF commander or any other officer or unit involved in the operation would take any order from him without any confirmation from higher authority.

More to the point, if the PNP were running the show, wouldn’t the funding have come from the PNP as well? But the PNP did not fund it, so who did? Malacañang? Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa’s anti-terrorism council? Or some foreign government?

Ignoble reaction
Aquino’s personal and official reaction to the whole tragedy shows it all. The tragedy occurred on Sunday; but Aquino managed to say something about it only on Wednesday evening. In his speech, he failed to condemn the massacre but talked more about the need to push the peace process and the Babala in Congress. Then he failed to show up at the Villamor Air Base to receive the bodies of the fallen policemen, choosing to attend instead a Japanese company function out of town. When he finally showed up at the necrological services for the policemen, he was one hour late, and he used the occasion to talk about himself and the murder of his father, the masterminds of which neither he nor his late mother had shown any eagerness to identify.

We cannot blame the bereaved families of the fallen and so many of our countrymen for being angry at this time. What has come out of Aquino’s mouth and the mouths of all his lackeys is all about the need to ram through the Babala in Congress as though the massacre never happened. But the massacre has exposed at least two things that have made the indecent haste to ram through the Babala doubly unacceptable.

Two realities
First of all, contrary to all assurances from the MILF, they have been harboring terrorists within their camp. The case of Marwan and Usman proves this beyond all doubt. Second, contrary to the propaganda that the BIFF is a breakaway faction of the MILF, and that they have nothing to do with each other, they are in fact working together. This is reminiscent of the situation in the 1990s when the MILF was presented as a mere breakaway faction of the MNLF, only to emerge as the main insurgent force after the MNLF had made peace with the government.

We have suffered enough betrayals in the past. Let us not suffer any more now. We could perhaps stand betrayal from the MILF, but we should not allow ourselves to be betrayed by our own President. Yet as far as millions of our countrymen today are concerned, this is what has happened in Maguindanao. For them, treason has been committed, and this cannot go unpunished. The people must act.

Were SAF soldiers massacred after surrendering?

Videos showing dead bodies scattered in a cornfield here and here,
taken by persons who spoke the native dialect..

How can you lead us... when you are buried in the quagmire that is your self?

#Fallen 44. Photo by Voltaire Domingo/NPPA Images

How can you lead us, much less comfort or console us, when you are buried in the quagmire that is your self?

How can you listen to our cries when you are deafened by the wailing of your own fears and unforgiveness?

How can you weep when your eyes mirror your hardened heart and tears can no longer fall from them?

How can you pray when your soul bows to relativistic gods?

How can you pursue peace when your path is hounded by your past that keeps pulling you back and pulling you down to dwell only in the comforts of your ego?

How can you stand tall when you have limited your myopic view to selfish gains?

Cry, my fellow countrymen, for our fallen brothers. But cry more for ourselves if we are not moved to right the wrong and bring justice not only for our soldiers but for every Filipino unjustly served.

Only then can true peace and progress be achieved!

Let's unite and rebuild this Blessed Land. Turn to God Who will not fail His faithful ones.

Remember: Cory had 22 dead farmers at Mendiola. Pnoy had 44 dead policemen in Maguindanao.

- By Archbishop Ramon Arguelles

National Day of Mourning today for the slain elite cops of PNP-SAF; US hand in Maguindanao ops; Aquino on top of botched ops?

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

President Aquino's answers to media questions on the Mamasapano clash

FULL TEXT:  Transcript of PNoy’s News Conference on the Mamasapano, Maguindanao Incident 

President Benigno Aquino III answered questions from media after delivering his speech about the encounter between members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) and Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Reymund Tinaza (Bombo Radyo): Good evening, Mr. President. I am taking off my questions from the spirit of goodwill and for peace. Sir, it is not the first time that this so-called ‘misencounter’—or however we call it—with supposed friendly forces, the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front). Sir, was there any clear coordination with our counterparts in the MILF? If none, of if there was, how should we define ‘coordination’ to them, considering, as you have said, the ‘element of surprise’ against these terrorists?

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Reymund, siguro imbes na pag-usapan natin ‘yung sa MILF na palagay ko lalabas doon sa Board of Inquiry, siguro dapat tukuyin muna natin ‘yung mismong puwersa natin; na diumano, bagamat ilang beses nating pinagbilinan na ‘yung tamang koordinasyon sa AFP (Armed Forces of Philippines) ay dapat nandoon, hindi nangyari. So hintayin na lang natin ‘yung resulta doon sa Board of Inquiry para lang malaman ang buong katotohanan.
 

Mr. Tinaza: Okay. Sir, regardless of whether there was actual coordination, but as a human being and as Commander-in-Chief, how do you assess… Is it acceptable that while there was no coordination at all with our friendly forces, it is just right to open fire with our troops, considering those fatalities?

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Namomoblema akong sagutin ‘yang tanong mong ‘yan dahil wala pa akong facts. Aakusahan ko ang isang grupo na wala akong tangan na ebidensya. Kaya, sinasabi ko nga, hintayin natin ang resulta nitong Board of Inquiry. Matutukoy kung sino ang mga pumaslang dito sa ating mga troopers nang may katiyakan, naaayon sa proseso, para naman bago tayo mag-akusa ay mayroon tayong supisyenteng ebidensya.

 

Mr. Tinaza: Okay, sir. Last point, sir, can we in a way…

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Sandali lang, Reymund. Hindi naman… ‘Yung… Katulad nito, ano, ‘pag… Sabihin nating kung mayroon kayong forces na sila ang bumaril dito sa ating mga SAF (Special Action Force) troopers, ano ‘yung konteksto? May nagsasabing ‘yung misencounter masyado raw malapit na pareho silang kumikilos; baka hinahabol ng isa palayo doon sa nangyayaring aksyon; ‘yung isa naman tumatakas doon sa mga engkuwentro; nagsalubong at nagkagulatan. Tama kaya ‘yon? Hindi. Wala akong fact. Pero kung ganoon ang nangyari, nagkagulatan, pwede ba nating sabihin na… ‘Di ba ‘yung sa kasalanan sa Simbahang Katoliko ‘yung intensyon at saka ‘yung akto parehong masama e. Dito ba may intensyon tayong masasabing mapapatunayan? Mayroon ba talagang kautusan na ‘pag mayroong dumating doon na hindi ninyo kagrupo pwede na ninyong barilin? Hindi natin pwedeng masabi sa ngayong panahon ‘yan.

Mr. Tinaza: Sir, last point. Based on reports there are reports of robbery and dishonoring and other forms of atrocities to our already dead or injured SAF members. Is there any way that we could ask the MILF to explain and even return the cellphones and other belongings of those SAF members, which they got from them?

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: ‘Yung… Again, ano, ina-assume natin puro MILF ang tumira dito sa ating mga kapulisan; hindi pa natin nae-establish ‘yon. So ang sigurado ako maaasahan natin ‘yung MILF na tutulong magkaroon ng katarungan para dito sa mga troopers natin.

 

Mr. Tinaza: Thank you, sir.

42 of 44 fallen PNP-SAF men are accorded arrival honors
at Villamor Air Base this morning.

 

Joyce Pañares (Manila Standard Today): Hi, sir. Sir, by now I’m sure you have already established… Who gave the go-signal for that mission?

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Well, ‘yung ‘who gave the go-signal,’ ano?

 

Ms. Pañares: Yes, sir.

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: If you remember… Sa speech ko, binanggit ko sa inyo ‘yung napakaraming operations na ‘yung warrant starts from 2002 against Marwan, okay—marami nang operations. Just for everybody to know, ‘yung AFP actually had an operation against Marwan, Mawiyah, and Doctor Abu of the Abu Sayyaf. Doon na-neutralize si Doctor Abu; supposed to be injured si Mawiyah at si Marwan. May claims na—I’m sure you can research it—na suspected na namatay ‘yung dalawa; obviously, hindi. This particular operation ng PNP ‘yung… I was checking my notes, ano, pero sometime roughly about May of last year ‘nung nagkaroon ng aim for actionable intelligence na tinutukoy kung nasaan specifically si Marwan at saka si Usman.

 

‘Pag sinabing ‘actionable intelligence…’ Marami kasing intelligence ‘sighted’—sighted dito, sighted diyan—e ‘yung sighted dito at sighted diyan, kung wala kang puwersang makakadakip sa kanila, hindi actionable. Dito, pumirmi sa… Tulad ‘nung operation ng AFP, pumirmi sa isang lugar sa Sulu; dito naman, pumirmi dito sa Mamasapano sa Maguindanao, so actionable. So ‘yung go-ahead, tuloy-tuloy ‘yan e, ano. Bago pa ako naupo sa puwesto, may mga operations against them. Dito, since 2010, all of the PNP, the AFP, and the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) have had their own versions of operations.

 

This particular intelligence on Mamasapano, starting from May of last year, nandiyan na at ilang beses sinubukan pero na-abort for various reasons. Now, I’ll give you one, for instance. Siguro third or fourth quarter last year, pumasok ‘yung SAF, sinubukang i-apprehend itong dalawa. Nagkaroon ng harassment attack on a detachment of the AFP, nagkaroon ng sagutan, palitan ng putok between the BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters) and the AFP at nahinto sila. ‘Nung humupa, tumigil, naghiwalay ‘yung magkabilang puwersa; umabante ulit ‘yung SAF, tapos diumano, pinutukan sila at in-abort nila ‘yung mission.

 

Bakit nila in-abort? Dahil inaaalala nila mabulabog itong si Marwan at si Usman at tumakbo na naman or umpisa na naman tayo sa hanapan. At hindi ‘yon ‘yung one-time lang last year na sinubukang pasukin itong lugar na ito. So ‘yung go-ahead, ‘di ba, trabaho nila e. May warrant of arrest. The court orders all law enforcement authorities to serve that particular warrant, and again, from 2002. So ongoing na ito by all of these branches of our security sector.

 

Ms. Pañares: But on that Saturday evening that they decided they would go to Mamasapano and, you know, act on this what you call ‘actionable intel,’ so the buck stops with the SAF commander? Because there are also reports that—

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Tactically, hindi ba… Okay, one, bakit SAF? ‘Yung… Hindi naman cellphone snatcher ‘yung hahabulin natin dito, ano. Si Usman is reported to have a 15- to 20-member security detail made up mostly of his relatives. You are providing him security in this particular area. Maraming other forces diyan between the BIFF, the MILF, and also a private armed group. Can I just remind everybody—I was just checking through the notes—in the lead-up to the elections of 2013, naalala ninyo mayroong PNP rin na regional… The regional director or his forces were to serve a warrant on a Maguindanao massacre suspect. Nagkaroon ng firefight at nagkaroon ng—parang na-box in rin sila at dumating nga ‘yung army para tulungan silang makalikas, okay. So dito, ‘yung sa go-ahead, parang matagal nang may go-ahead. Siguro ‘yung reverse, ‘pag alam niyong nandiyan, may kakayahan kayong arestuhin, hindi ninyo inaresto… Mayroong konsepto sa batas ‘nonfeasance’ e, hindi mo ginawa ‘yung tungkulin mo. So matagal nang tuloy-tuloy na hinahanap ng gobyerno natin itong mga teroristang ito.

 

Ms. Pañares: Sir, maybe just two long questions.

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Two long questions, okay.

 

Ms. Pañares: Sir, the first one. So why was Secretary (Mar) Roxas and General (Leonardo) Espina left in the dark insofar as this operation is concerned? And there are also reports that PAOCC (Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission) under Secretary (Paquito) Ochoa parang had a hand in preparing for or planning this operation and General (Alan) Purisima who is supposed to be on leave. What is your…

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: ‘Yung… We’ll look into that, ano, kung bakit hindi alam ni Secretary Roxas or Deputy Director General Espina—that will be borne out in the Board of Inquiry. Although—and I was conferring with Secretary Roxas and he will confirm this—there were points before ‘nung mga na-abort that we had discussed this particular operation. Ngayon ‘yung sa dami ng… Paano ba? Paano ba ipapaliwanag ‘yon? Sa dami ng version nito. Kasi hindi naman ‘sinubukan ngayon, abort, tapos panibagong operation.’ Talagang parang nire-refine ‘yung kanilang plano, starting from roughly around May last year, okay. Ngayon… Teka, first question, bakit hindi sila na-inform?

 

Ms. Pañares: Yes, sir.

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Second question was… Sorry?

 

Ms. Pañares: There were reports that PAOCC and General Purisima, sir—

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: ‘Yung PAOCC that’s news to me. I don’t think PAOCC was involved in this, ano. The intelligence that was utilized starting from, again, May last year was generated by the PNP. I think the unit is called the IG. I guess that means ‘Intelligence Group,’ okay. ‘Yung was General Purisima involved? He was Chief PNP and he was the one reporting to me starting from roughly around May of last year. And ‘yung dito naman, I was talking directly to the SAF director, and… ‘Yung, if at all, baka ‘yung jargon tinutulungan ako ni General Purisima to understand it. But he was involved ‘yung up to the point in time, directly, that he was ordered suspended by the Ombudsman. Tapos after that, if at all, ‘yung siya ang very knowledgeable about the whole thing; ipinapaliwanag sa akin ‘yung intricacies of what the plan being presented to be was.

 

Ms. Pañares: Sir, for my last question, when will the National Day of Mourning be declared?

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Friday.

 

Ms. Pañares: Friday. And also, sir, parang what concrete actions would you like to see from the MILF, you know, just to perhaps show sincerity amid this cloud of doubt that was cast over the peace process? And… Kasi like—just to push what Reymund earlier said—parang the photos of the carnage that came out, you know, the policemen were brutally slaughtered. So parang people are also asking for accountability. So what can we, as the government, ask or demand from the MILF that they do in return?

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Okay, ‘yung basic, ‘yung pinaka-minimum that they will… ‘Yung they have areas under their control in this particular area of Maguindanao. They will step aside to make the operations against Usman and anybody else who will shield him be less complicated. Wala na ‘yung… Navi-visualize ba ninyo na ‘iwas ka dito para walang misencounter’? Hindi, tatabi, minimum ‘yon. Tapos ‘yung I expect—but they will have to discuss this amongst themselves—ano ba ‘yung extent that they will help us? Recovery of the firearms; identification of the people who actually did the acts; recovery of personal effects and things like that, I think, will be reasonable to expect from them. But at this point in time, I am very, very confident that they will… They will and they are parang studying exactly how to demonstrate their sincerity in this peace process.

 

Ms. Pañares: Thank you.

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Thank you.

 

Lei Alviz (GMA-7): Good evening, sir. Sir, categorical answer lang po siguro. May go-signal po ba ninyo ‘yung operasyon po o wala?

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: “Sir, can we proceed with the mission?” I don’t think I was ever asked that question. At the same token, parang it’s a rhetorical question, ‘di ba, Lei? ‘Yung ‘pwede ho ba naming hulihin itong pinapahuli ng korte?’ Pwede ko bang sagutin na ‘hindi’

 

Ms. Alviz: So hindi po, sir, kailangan po ng go-signal po ng Pangulo?

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: If they will have to wait for me with every action, then they will have to contend with all the other things that are occupying my attention, kailan kaya natin mahuhuli ‘yung kriminal?

 

Ms. Alviz: Okay. Sir, ‘yung fact po na two international terrorists were in the MILF territory, what does this imply po doon sa sincerity po ng MILF?

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: ‘Pag tiningnan niyo ‘yung specific encampments, ‘yung separated sila from the BIFF, separate sila from MILF, separate sila from the PAG (private armed group). Can we technically say they were inside an MILF camp? The data shown to me by both the AFP and the PNP say they were not in an MILF camp. We can’t even say that they were in BIFF camp. Pero can we even say that they were in the PAG area? They were in a separate area that was closed by to all of these other encampments.

 

Ms. Alviz: Sir, how can we strike a balance between finding justice for our falling police officers and going forward with the peace process?

 

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Well, ilang beses nang nagpakita naman ng, ano e, ang MILF na especially—and there are mechanisms already in place—na ‘pag mayroong law enforcement operations tumatabi sila or nagko-cooperate pa. Cinite (cite) ko ‘yung kanina, ‘yung pagre-rescue ‘nung kidnap victim, and there are others. Now, ‘yung how do we strike a balance? Mayroong ano e… Mayroong—paano ba tawag doon—goalposts, milestones on both sides na kailangang ipakita as we advance, at lahat ito nakalagay doon sa ating framework agreements nga. Tapos lalagyan ng more and more na detalye, ‘yung Bangsamoro Transition Authority, ‘yung budget nito na hinanda na, inaprubahan ng Kongreso, and so on and so forth.

 

So ‘yung dito, ‘pag sinasabi kong ipapakita ‘yung sincerity, they can operate in that area relatively freely. They have access to informants that we may not have access to at this point in time. They have tasked already their own commission to study and determine who is at fault, and we can expect that there will be that much more cooperation from them when we file the appropriate charges, once we have developed the necessary evidence. Madali-dali kasing ilagay na kung sino-sinong pangalan doon tapos wala tayong pruweba; tapos naabsuwelto na lahat ito, walang point ‘non; nagdrama lang tayo. Ang habol natin matukoy ‘yung talagang may mga kasalanan at mapanagot ‘yung totoong may kasalanan.

 

Ms. Alviz: Okay. Thank you, sir. - GMA Network

A relative of one of the 44 slain PNP-SAF commandos stands beside the officer's coffin inside a C-130 military plane at Awang Airport in Maguindanao on Thursday, January 29. Remains of the 42 police commandos killed in the January 25 Mamasapano encounter were flown to Villamor Air Base where arrival honors were accorded to the fallen men this morning. Two other slain officers were earlier laid to rest in Zamboanga City in accordance to Islamic rites. Mark Navales