Duterte says Kris Aquino asked him not to jail Noy
February 6, 2017 | 11:08pm
Kris Aquino appears on stage with Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion where she was supposed to do a sit-in interview with President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 in Davao City. Duterte did not show up. PPD/STAR, File
MANILA, Philippines — Actress Kris Aquino tried to save someone from landing in jail over the bloody Mamasapano clash, President Rodrigo Duterte revealed Monday.
“Si Kris, nagtext. Huwag mo namang ipakulong si… (Kris sent a text message. Please do not imprison…) Sabi ko (I said): No Kris, I am not out to find faults. I just want to know the truth,” Duterte said during the launching of the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s tax campaign in Pasay City.
“I am not into the habit of sending to prison guys on the other side of the political fence,” he added.
Duterte did not identify the person that Aquino is trying to save from being imprisoned. He issued the statement almost two weeks after he accused Kris’ brother, former President Benigno Aquino III of sending 44 police commandos to their deaths.
Duterte also announced that he is not pushing through with his plan to create a commission that would look into the Mamasapano encounter.
“I am not going ahead with the creation of the commission because apparently, the ombudsman has said that it’s still pending before them. So I do not want to have a multiple incongruity especially if one body fights with the other,” he said.
Forty-four Special Action Force (SAF) troopers were killed in a clash with lawless groups and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25, 2015.
The SAF commandos were directed to capture wanted terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and his Filipino lieutenant Basit Usman.
Marwan was killed during the operation but it came at a high price as 44 SAF commandos and 18 MILF members were killed in an encounter hours after the raid.
Last month, Duterte said he would form a commission to investigate the Mamasapano clash, saying there are several issues about the incident that need to be settled.
He said the commission would consist of Supreme Court justices, civilians and a lawyer.
The president was disappointed with the way the Mamasapano operation was handled and even accused the Aquino administration of “feeding” the SAF troopers to the “lion’s den to be eaten by death.”
The former president has denied having direct participation in the planning, approval and execution of the raid.
Despite canceling his plan to create the commission, Duterte acknowledged that some questions related to the operation remain unanswered.
“Why did they not use the air assets?” he said.
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