Mamasapano probe, MILF to return weapons, Obama delays Ukraine arms | The wRap

Today on Rappler.

• Senator Alan Cayetano links the MILF to terrorist groups… and blames the rebel group for the Mamasapano carnage.
• The MILF vows to return the firearms of the dead policemen.
• US president Barack Obama holds off supplying weapons to Ukraine.

SENATORS: SEND MILF LEADERS TO THE PROBE
Tensions flare between a senator and Philippine peace panel members...
during the second day of the hearing on the bloody clash between elite cops and rebel troops in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Senator Alan Cayetano, co-author of the peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, withdrew his authorship after the clash.
He links the MILF to terrorists and blames the group for the carnage.

ALAN CAYETANO, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: I take offense of them not being here kasi tactical move sa kanila ito eh. Pinababayaan nila na ang militar at pulis at pulitiko natin ay magturuan, at itong imbestigasyon ay mukhang kaya namatay ang 44 dahil sa militar o pulis o sa atin. Kung hindi nila kinupkop si Marwan at kung hindi sila lumaban sa 44, hindi patay ang 44 na iyon. Ang ultimate na may kasalanan dito is the MILF.

(I take offense of them not being here because it’s a tactical move for them. They’re letting the military, police, and politicians point fingers at each other, and this investigation is making it seem like the 44 died because of either the military or police or us in government. If they did not coddle Marwan and did not engage the 44 in combat, the troops wouldn’t have been dead. Ultimately, it’s the MILF at fault.)

Cayetano then turns to the government peace panel and asks if the Philippine government negotiates with terrorists.

ALAN CAYETANO, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: All governments in the world; policy is not to negotiate with terrorists. If the peace panel doesn’t know that we’re in trouble.

MIRIAM FERRER, CHAIR, GOVERNMENT PEACE NEGOTIATING PANEL: I am not aware of any policy. Absolutely not. We do not negotiate.

Senator Bongbong Marcos asks former police chief Alan Purisima why he advised relieved Special Action Force chief Getulio Napeñas to keep acting police chief Leonardo Espina and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas out of the loop.

Purisima invokes operational security.

BONGBONG MARCOS, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Nevertheless, that "advice" – which we’ll use for the sake of consistency – that "advice" was nevertheless followed as an order because the fact of the matter is that General Espina was kept out of the loop. The Secretary of the DILG was kept out of the loop? Why did you feel the need to give that advice?

ALAN PURISIMA, FORMER PNP CHIEF: For operational security purposes, your honor.

BONGBONG MARCOS, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: You do not trust your own second in command with this information?

ALAN PURISIMA, FORMER PNP CHIEF: Hindi po ganoon. Ang nakasaad sa plano ng PNP SAF ay time on target.

(It's not like that your honor. What is stated in the PNP SAF plan is time on target.)

Roxas questions why the military failed to send help to the police earlier.

He also says what he would’ve done had he been looped in.

MAR ROXAS, INTERIOR SECRETARY: Pero tanong ko naman po at magalang kong tinatanong ito: Wala ngang coordination pero saklolo lang ang tinawag nito eh. SOS na ito eh.

(But my question is: Sure, there was no coordination but they were asking for help. It was an SOS.)

GRACE POE, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Anong kondemnasyon ang sa tingin niyong nararapat dito sa kakulangan ng koordinasyon, sinong dapat managot? Ano ang inyong irerekomenda?

(What condemnation do you think will suffice lack of coordination, who should be responsible? What do you recommend?)

MAR ROXAS, INTERIOR SECRETARY: Una yung koordinasyon, koordinasyon sa taas, across, chain of command. Yung pangalawang area is yung responsibilities.

(First, coordination, chain of command. The second area is the one on responsibilities.)

MAR ROXAS, INTERIOR SECRETARY: Kung sakaling nangyari ulit ito, and by the way no, binibring up ko to dahil hindi ko po gusto magkaroon ng hidwaan or split or crack any kind of mistrust sa pagitan ng police and AFP because the concept nga is joint operation.

(If ever this happened again, by the way I bring this up because I don’t want any faction, split, or crack or in any way any kind of mistrust between the police and AFP because the concept is joint operation.)

MILF: WE WILL RETURN SAF ARMS, PERSONAL ITEMS
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF says it will return firearms and personal belongings of the 44 elite cops killed in Mamasapano.
In a letter to Senator Grace Poe, chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal says this is the MILF’s commitment to the peace process.
MILF representative Rashid Ladiasan reads the letter at the Senate hearing Tuesday.

RASID LADIASAN, MILF REPRESENTATIVE: The MILF has decided to return the firearms and any retrievable personal effects of the fallen SAF PNP in deference to the peace process and recognition of the MILF that it never wanted the unfortunate incident in Mamasapano to happen.

OBAMA DELAYS UKRAINE ARMS DECISION
US President Barack Obama agrees to hold off a controversial decision to send arms to Ukraine... until a German-led effort to broker a ceasefire with Russia is given a chance.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she and French President Francois Hollande will give a peaceful resolution another try.
Obama says he hopes Merkel could reach a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end 10 months of bloodshed in eastern Ukraine…
but warns... more punitive measures are in the pipeline if that fails.
Obama accused Russia of violating “every commitment” made in ceasefire signed by Ukraine and pro-Russian separatist rebels in September 2014.

MERALCO RATES SPIKE IN FEBRUARY
The Manila Electric Company or Meralco says electricity bills will go up this month by P0.84 or 0.019 US cents per kilowatt hour.
Meralco said all bill components for February have shot up to P10.51 or 0.24 US cents per kilowatt hour.
The hike was mainly due to an increase in generation charges -- the portion of the bill that goes to power producers.
The overall P10.51 0.24 US cents per kWh rate is still lower compared to rates in February 2014, which was at P11.04 or 0.25 US cents per kilowatt hour.
Before the hike, Meralco had a series of rollbacks since June last year due to the rollback in oil prices.

ISRAELI FILM BREAKS ULTRA-ORTHODOX TABOO ON MASTURBATION
An Israeli documentary breaks new ground by exploring the ultra-Orthodox Jewish ban on masturbation.
Filmmaker Ori Gruder says 'Sacred Sperm' explores how ultra-Orthodox Judaism requires boys and men to go against their natural urges in the name of religion.
The film offers a rare glimpse into this sensitive subject…
filming in places which are normally off-limits to the secular world.

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