A REPRESENTATIVE from Davao City called Friday for a congressional inquiry into the bloody clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Sunday to verify the reported involvement of American agents in the botched operation to arrest a notorious terrorist bombmaker.
Bayan Muna Representative Karlos Zarate said several reports link US operatives to the operation, which ended in the massacre of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
"Congress must also conduct a thorough investigation since it appears that there was breakdown in the established mechanisms agreed upon by the GPH (Philippine government) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), as well as to see the veracity of reports that US agents or troops were also in the area after the incident," Zarate said in an e-mailed statement.
"There are more questions now than when this was exposed. As for example, if SAF commander keep on insisting that Operation Wolverine is very much like the US operation to get Osama bin Laden then he has already admitted that this botched operation has US backing, support and participation," he said.
"Another question is how are we certain that the US agents seen in the evacuation of the dead and wounded SAF did not take the supposed body of Marwan or his cut finger for them to test for his DNA? These are just few of the questions that have to be answered for us to get to the truth," Zarate said.
A national daily reported that the "Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and ranking Filipino police officials planned a secret operation aimed at getting a notorious international terrorist."
The terrorist referred to was Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, alias "Marwan," who had a $5-million price on his head.
Marwan was said to be on "Washington's list of priority terrorists."
Senior Deputy Minority Leader Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares echoed Zarate's call for a congressional investigation.
"This is one of our fears when the Philippines entered the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and now the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), we are dragged into their fights and battle plans under the heading Target of US enemies. Filipinos are the ones dying for the US to get what they want. Worse, because we are now seen as part of US military operations against its enemies, we also become a target of attacks by the enemies of the US. This should really be investigated," Colmenares said.
He said President Benigno Aquino III could not fully explain why Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and the PNP officer in charge Leonardo Espina sanctioned Operation Wolverine without informing him.
This proves reports that suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima was on top of the operation, Colmenares said.