JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima said that some 90 suspects will be charged criminally for the killing of 35 of the 44 members of the Philippine National Police- Special Action Forces (PNP-SAF) based on the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the National Prosecution Service (NPS).
Among those to be charged are members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and private armed groups.
De Lima announced this in a press briefing, saying that the suspects were identified by an eyewitness interviewed by the NBI and the NPS. The eyewitness testimonies are included in the 224-page report of the NBI and the NPS.
The main eyewitness was only identified by De Lima as a certain “Marathon” who has now been placed under the DOJ’s Witness Protection Program.
De Lima also appealed to the MILF to cooperate with the government investigators on the case as they are still investigating the deaths of the MILF members in the Mamasapano incident, as well as that of the nine other elite police commandos.
She said she hoped that the MILF would give the government investigators access to their witnesses who could help shed light to the killing of the MILF members and the civilians killed in the Mamasapano encounter.
She said the major witness the government investigators are now holding was able to identify those who had participated in the actual firefight.
De Lima said that they would give a copy of the report to the Office of the President over the weekend. (Eagle News Service)
