MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Grace Poe on Thursday set the new schedule of the Senate probe on the Mamasapano incident to January 27.
Poe, who heads the Senate committee on public order, said that the re-scheduling of the Mamasapano investigation was made upon the request of Philippine National Police Director General Ricardo Marquez.
"This is to ensure that invited guests from the PNP will be able to attend," Poe said in a statement.
The senator added that the decision to move the date of the hearing from January 25 to January 27 was in deference to the commemoration activities for the 44 Special Action Activities killed in an encounter against Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
The Senate reopened the investigation of the Mamasapano incident upon the request of Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile who was detained when Poe's committee conducted the hearings early last year.
Enrile was in detention due to the plunder charges filed against him in connection to the pork barrel scam. The Supreme Court granted him bail in August 2015.
He said that he wanted to reopen the investigation at the committee level to ask questions regarding the government's actions during the bloody encounter.
Enrile earlier said that he wants President Benigno Aquino III to attend the hearing for him to explain his actions or inaction that may have led to the incident. However, Malacañang insisted that the president has already spoken on the matter.
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