MANILA, Philippines鈥揓ustice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday defended President Aquino again in light of the Senate鈥檚 release of its draft report on the Mamasapano incident, asserting that he may not be held criminally liable for having knowledge about the botched operation.
鈥淚 have not seen the report so I still don鈥檛 know the basis for such a conclusion [on the] purported liability of the President. Now, owning up to responsibility, the President has already done that in his speeches [on the incident], because he was aware of the operations,鈥� she told reporters.
鈥淏ut we have to be careful about hasty and reckless conclusions that just because he knew about the operations, he is now deemed to be really liable or deemed to be really accountable for each and every aspect of that operation.鈥�
De Lima also warned against 鈥渉asty conclusions鈥� as she reiterated her view that the principle of chain of command, and hence command responsibility, may not apply on the Philippine National Police, a civilian organization.
Basis of report
De Lima was curious about the basis of the report, and whether it toed the same line as the PNP board of inquiry鈥檚 interpretation of the President鈥檚 relationship with the police hierarchy.
鈥淚 want to know the basis of the Senate report. Is it also referring to the chain of command? Did it agree with the position of the BOI that there is a chain of command (leading to the President), something which I strongly dispute?,鈥� she said.
Sticking to position
鈥淓ven if the Senate agrees that there鈥檚 a chain of command in the PNP,鈥� she said, 鈥淚鈥檓 sticking to my position and I will not change that, because that鈥檚 my reading of the Constitution, of the law, especially of jurisprudence.鈥�
De Lima had earlier said in interviews and in a position paper submitted to the Senate during its Mamasapano investigation that the concept of the chain of command was 鈥渁 military construct鈥� that may not apply on the PNP.