Two Senate leaders contradicted each other during a public hearing on Wednesday whether or not President Benigno Aquino III had intervened on the Mamasapano operation.
At the reopening of the Senate probe on the incident, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile directly accused the President of dipping his hands in the police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25, 2015 that resulted in the deaths of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) men and several other people.
鈥淲ith the permission of the body, that鈥檚 alright, kung hindi makikiaalam yung president (if the President wouldn鈥檛 intervene). E sya ang nakilaam dito e鈥� (He was the one who intervened here鈥�)鈥� Enrile said at one point while a resource person was being questioned.
Senate President Franklin Drilon immediately came to the defense of the President, saying no one has made any statement yet in the hearing that Aquino interfered in the said police operation.
鈥淛ust for the record, there鈥檚 nothing in the testimonies so far that the President made pakialam (any intervention)鈥︹�� Drilon said.
鈥淏ecause from the start, General Nape帽as said plano ko ito, ako ang nag approve (this was my plan, I approved of it),鈥� said the Senate leader, referring to former SAF Director Getulio Nape帽as.
READ: Drilon on 鈥楳amasapano cover-up鈥� audio: Unauthorized recording 鈥榰nlawful鈥�
The reopening of the investigation was initiated by Enrile, saying he has evidence to prove that the President was 鈥渁ctively鈥� and 鈥渄irectly鈥� involved in the debacle. CDG
READ: Enrile out to prove Aquino鈥檚 鈥榙irect鈥� involvement in Mamasapano