DILG Chief: Nation awaits BOI report

L-R: PNP OIC Leo Espina, DILG Sec. Mar Roxas, and Defense Sec. Voltaire Gazmin at the Senate hearing on the Mamasapano Clash (Photo courtesy of Sen. Grace Poe’s Facebook page)

MANILA — In the interest of truth and accountability, Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II said that he, along with millions of Filipinos, is expecting the release of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) report on the Mamasapano incident on Monday.

BOI Chairman Benjamin Magalong, Director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), earlier stated that they will submit their report on Monday to Philippine National Police (PNP) Officer-in-Charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, in compliance with the latest deadline set for the investigating body.

According to Roxas, he will immediately submit a copy of the report to the President upon receipt, as well as to investigating bodies such as the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In an earlier statement, Roxas highlighted five questions that both he and the wider public expect to be answered by the report. 1. Matino ba ang plano? (Was it a sound plan?) 2. Ginawa ba at nagawa ba ang lahat para masiguro ang kaligtasan ng ating mga tropa? (Was everything done to ensure the safety of our troops?) 3. Nasunod ba ang atas at utos ng Pangulo? (Were the President’s instructions followed?) 4. Meron ba, at kung meron nga, ano ang partisipasyon ng mga Amerikano sa operasyong ito?​​ (If any, what were the Americans’ participation in the operation?) 5. Sa equipment, gumana ba ng maayos ang mga radyo, vest, baril, at bala ng ating mga tropa? (When it comes to the equipment, did the radios, vest, guns, and bullets of our troops function properly?)”

“Katanungan ko ang mga ito at palagay ko katanungan din ng ating mga kababayan (These are my questions and I think these are also the questions of our fellow men),” Roxas remarked.

The Senate is expected to publish its own report this month before it adjourns whereas Congress deferred its hearings until the BOI report is released.

The BOI was created to look into the circumstances surrounding OPLAN Exodus, which was launched to neutralize two high-value targets: Zhulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan” and Basit Usman.

While Marwan was reported to have been killed in the operation, a total of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) operatives perished during the incident.

The BOI documented signed affidavits of SAF members, AFP officials, witnesses and other civilians, and conducted an on-site inspection of the incident. Roxas himself submitted to the BOI as well as the Senate information about the exchange of text messages between him and the President.