Police probers to question Army officers on Mamasapano clash

MAMASAPANO, Maguindanao —- The Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry will have to interview Army officers here for input on the Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash that left 44 elite police officers dead.

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PNoy pushes anew for BBL’s passage in meeting with solons

President Benigno Aquino III pushed anew for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) at his recent meeting with lawmakers although he did not give them marching orders to fast-track its approval.

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WATCH: Alan Cayetano grills peace adviser Deles on loyalty

A day after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano called on President Benigno Aquino III to fire his peace adviser Teresita Deles and others involved in the talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for allegedly speaking for the rebels, the Senate Majority Leader on Tuesday asked the secretary why the panel gave pictures indicating the MILF building up its forces before the military could authenticate them.

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Operational lapses, leadership breakdown clear in Mamasapano mission –Poe

Operational lapses and leadership breakdown in the police force were clear during the Mamasapano mission that left over 60 people, most of them policemen, dead, according to Senator Grace Poe, the head of the Senate panel that investigated the incident, on Tuesday.

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Gazmin: Mamasapano ‘wounds’ should not affect AFP-PNP relations

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Tuesday admitted that the January 25 Mamasapano clash has caused a rift between the military and the police, but said this should not affect the good relations established by the two organizations in past operations.

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LOOK: General lashes out at Napeñas for continuing to blame Army for deaths of Fallen 44

After weeks of keeping it together in congressional hearings on the Mamasapano incident, in which the the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force blamed the military for delayed and inadequate assistance, 6th Infantry Division Major General Edmundo Pangilinan on Tuesday finally gave way to his emotions when former PNP-SAF chief Director Getulio Napeñas again told the committee how the 44 fallen commandos could have been saved if the Armed Forces delivered the requested artillery support.

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Napeñas: US provided intelligence, training in Mamasapano operation

Relieved Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (SAF) chief Director Getulio Napeñas on Tuesday admitted that the United States helped the police force in terms of intelligence sharing during the botched operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao but maintained that the US forces were never involved in the actual combat.

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Palace: Bangsamoro back on track in House amid Mamasapano probes

President Benigno Aquino III's meeting with House leaders on Monday placed the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law back on track at least as far as the House of Representatives is concerned, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

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Nominations open for Champions for Health Governance

Efficacy, innovation, and accountability are among the qualities expected in the next batch of Champions for Health Governance, the nominations for which are now open.

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SC seeks Comelec, Smartmatic side on IBP plea vs. PCOS repair deal

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to comment on a petition seeking to void its deal with Smartmatic-TIM for the refurbishment and repair of the vote-counting machines that will be used in the 2016 elections.

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Iqbal decries govt forces’ lack of trust in MILF in Mamasapano ops

Lack of trust and coordination led to the Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash which left over 60 people dead, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)’s chief peace negotiator said during a Senate inquiry on Tuesday.

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Only SAF complied with ceasefire order during Mamasapano clash –Napeñas

The relieved commander of the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) on Tuesday said that while his men complied with the ceasefire order during the January 25 Mamasapano encounter, their enemies did not, resulting in the high number of casualties on the government side.

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Bongbong Marcos: MILF’s return of stripped-off rifles the opposite of goodwill

“What is supposed to be a confidence-building measure and an act of good faith has turned into the precise opposite. And this is a classic case of adding insult to injury. In this case, adding insult to death,” Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal.

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Ready for democracy? Cayetano, Iqbal debate legality of Mamasapano video

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal on Tuesday engaged in an emotional debate on the legality of the uploading of the viral video purportedly of the Mamasapano clash between police commandos and alleged MILF rebels.

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Escudero: SMS not best way to communicate during Mamasapano clash

Text messaging may have not been the best way to communicate during the Mamasapano clash, especially with the officials' seeming lack of sense of urgency, Sen. Francis Escudero said Tuesday.

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Emotional Army exec to ex-SAF chief: We did everything to help your men

A Philippine Army official turned emotional on Tuesday after relieved PNP-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) chief Director Getulio Napeñas maintained that the military failed to provide artillery support to his men during the deadly January 25 Mamasapano encounter.

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PNoy believes Purisima lied to him during Mamasapano ops —solons

President Benigno Aquino III felt he had been lied to by then-suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director-General Alan Purisima during the police operation to arrest two high-value terrorists in what is believed to be Moro Islamic Liberation Front territory in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25.

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MILF vows help in unmasking man in violent viral video

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vowed Tuesday to help bring to justice the man who shot the wounded and helpless Special Action Force commando in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, as seen on a viral video on the Internet.

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Who is accountable for Mamasapano? Fingers point at Purisima, Napeñas

On the continuation of the Senate investigation on the January 25 Mamasapano clash Tuesday, the question on who should be considered as the overall commander for Oplan Exodus was raised, resulting in finger-pointing.

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Nancy Binay, Roxas argue over who’s updating PNoy on clash

Sen. Nancy Binay on Tuesday told Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II that he tell the truth in the ongoing Senate inquiry on the Mamasapano incident, something that the official apparently didn't appreciate.

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Dismissed PMA cadet fails to get SC relief

The Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed the dismissal of Cadet Jeff Aldrin Cudia from the Philippine Military Academy.

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Guingona asks De Lima to recognize PNP chain of command

Citing additional documents, Sen. Teofisto Guingona on Tuesday said the Philippine National Police (PNP) also follows the chain of command, as he asked Justice Sec. Leila de Lima to reconsider her position that the said concept is a "military construct."

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PNP BOI may probe alleged SAF killing at Mamasapano mosque

MAMASAPANO, Maguindanao - The Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry may investigate allegations that a Special Action Force trooper killed defenseless Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters in a mosque on Jan. 25 but only as a "collateral issue."

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BIFF, not MILF, controlling IED factory in Maguindanao —gov’t peace negotiator

The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), not the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is controlling a factory for improvised explosive devices in Maguindanao, the government’s chief peace negotiator told a Senate hearing on the deadly January 25 Mamasapano clash on Tuesday.

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PNoy: I live the ‘spirit of EDSA’ in all my duties

On the eve of the 29th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, President Benigno Aquino III said the historic event that catapulted his mother to Malacañang has become his inspiration in meeting the many challenges of the presidency.

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De Lima to MILF: Show good faith, commit to turn over men invovled in Mamasapano clash

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Purisima admits failing to inform Espina of Mamasapano operation

Resigned PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima admitted Tuesday that he failed to inform PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina about the Mamasapano operation before its was launched.

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Photos showing alleged MILF armed training submitted to Senate panel

Pictures showing alleged training in a supposed camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been submitted to the Senate public order committee probing the deadly January 25 Mamasapano incident.

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Mamasapano ops should not have ignored use of official radio comms – ex-SAF, now Rep. Bataoil

Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, a former Special Action Force (SAF) battalion commander, said the use of official radio communication systems should not have been ignored when the Mamasapano operation was carried out last January 24 to 25.

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Senate starts executive session with AFP, PNP officials

The Senate has resumed its probe on the Mamasapano clash Tuesday morning with an executive session with officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police.

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PNP inquiry body investigating Mamasapano clash probes Ground Zero

A Philippine National Police inquiry board headed Tuesday for Ground Zero of the Jan. 25 clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that killed 44 Special Action Force troopers and 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters.

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Archbishop calling for PNoy resignation unfazed by DOJ threat

A Catholic archbishop calling for President Benigno Aquino III’s resignation is unfazed over Justice Secretary Leila de Lima's statement indicating he and members of an interfaith organization could face charges.

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CBCP head orders ‘Oratio Imperata’ for peace starting March 1

Amid the threat of war and terror due to recent events such as the Jan. 25 Mamasapano, Maguindanao clash, the head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines on Monday sought mandatory prayers (Oratio Imperata) for peace in Mindanao starting March 1.

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Palace refuses to judge Purisima on Mamasapano ops, points to Napeñas' failure

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on Monday refused to say if texts messages between resigned Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima and President Benigno Aquino III constitute a violation of Purisima’s suspension. However, Lacierda made it clear that relieved Special Action Force chief Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. failed to coordinate properly.

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PNoy claimed Napeñas lied about reinforcements – Fallen 44 kin

The wife of one of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos killed in the Mamasapano clash said on Monday that, during a meeting with President Benigno Aquino III, Aquino claimed that then SAF director Supt. Getulio Napeñas had lied to him about the reinforcements sent to help the besieged commandos.

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PNP investigates senior cop for misuse of gas coupons

The Philippine National Police has relieved a senior non-commissioned officer pending the results of an investigation into the alleged misuse of gas allocation coupons

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6 oil firms raising fuel prices Tuesday

Petron, Shell, Total, Seaoil, Phoenix Petroleum and PTT Philippines announced plans to hike fuel prices effective Tuesday morning.

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PNoy’s liability on Mamasapano operation still a big question among senators

Senators were divided Monday on President Benigno Aquino III’s liability on the bloody Mamasapano operation, which led to the deaths of over 60 people, 44 of them elite police commandos.

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Priest stands by claim govt paid MILF to return SAF weapons

A Mindanao-based priest on Monday stood by his claim that the government may have paid off the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for the return of Special Action Force weapons recovered from the site of a clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

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Solon: MILF using ‘lopsided interpretation’ of peace deal to protect its men

A lawmaker from Mindanao has slammed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for using a “lopsided” interpretation of the peace agreement it signed with the government as basis for refusing to surrender its members involved in the bloody clash with Special Action Force (SAF) troopers last Jan. 25.

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Speaker Belmonte: Ignore calls for PNoy resignation

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has brushed aside the call of certain groups for President Benigno Aquino III to resign and urged the people to ignore invitations for them to participate in another “people power uprising.”

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Slovakia eyes defense cooperation with PHL

The Slovak Republic on Monday said it is eyeing defense cooperation with Manila that will enable them to provide training, firearms and other defense equipment to the Philippines.

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Palace: Purisima’s messages showed PNoy knew little about Mamasapano mission

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on Monday said the text messages bared by resigned Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima at a Senate hearing was proof that Aquino did not orchestrate the Mamasapano operation which led to the deaths of 44 elite policemen.

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Drilon says Purisima could be charged with usurpation of authority

Resigned Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima could be charged with usurpation of authority for giving instructions on a law enforcement mission despite his being suspended from post, Senate President Franklin Drilon said Monday.

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Palace: Passage of Bangsamoro law to give meaning to deaths of Fallen 44

The dream of Bangsamoro political entity will not be allowed to die, Malacañang said on Monday, adding that the passage of the law which would create the new autonomous region was one way to honor the memories of the 44 elite cops who fell in a bloody clash in Mamasapano last month.

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Aquino's Crame comment misquoted, Palace says

President Benigno Aquino III never said he is “tabla-tabla” or on equal footing with the families of the 44 slain Special Action Force (SAF) men, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Monday.

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Pork barrel scam: Ex-APEC party-list solon ordered arrested on plunder raps

In a resolution issued on Monday, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division found probable cause put on trial former Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) party-list Representative Edgar Valdez for cases recently filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman.

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AFP chief wants independent body to study lapses in Mamasapano operation

Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr on Monday proposed the creation of an independent body composed of military and police officials to investigate lapses in the Mamasapano operation, where 44 Special Action Force commandos were killed last month.

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Admin allies downplay NTC’s call for ‘people power’ vs. PNoy

Two days before the 29th anniversary of historic EDSA People Power 1 uprising, an administration ally cautioned the public against backing calls for President Benigno Aquino III to step down in the guise of launching a “new people power.”

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Cayetano to PNoy: Govt peace panelists switched sides to MILF, fire them

President Benigno Aquino III should fire his peace adviser, Secretary Teresita Deles, and all the members of the government peace panel for supposedly defending the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in connection with the deadly January 25 Mamasapano incident, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said Monday.

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