CLAIM: A certain Ria Reyes defends her claim on Facebook last April 24 that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is supporting Vice President Leni Robredo’s presidential bid by posting screenshots of past articles which showed Robredo’s position against the reinvestigation of the January 25, 2015 Mamasapano Massacre.
She further said that Robredo is now endorsed by two “state enemies”, including the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)/New People’s Army and alleged that the MILF is responsible for the clash in Mamasapano which killed 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers.
Reyes called on Robredo supporters to ponder on her claims.
RATING: FALSE
FACTS:
The CPP has not released any statement declaring its support to Robredo’s candidacy.
The United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), MILF’s political party, declared its support to Robredo last April 23 but not because of her position against the Mamasapano reinvestigation.
Murad Ebrahim, MILF Chair and Bangsamoro Interim Chief Minister, said they are supporting Robredo because she shares the same point of view with the UBJP and is considerably familiar with the history, context, struggles, and issues of the Bangsamoro. Ebrahim also chairs the UBJP.
Robredo responded to the MILF support by promising to complete the implementation of the peace agreement and address the remaining gaps of the Bangsamoro transition period.
Meanwhile, on March 27, 2014, the MILF and the Philippine Government signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, ending the seventeen years of peace negotiations. The agreement covers details of the creation of a new self-governing political entity called Bangsamoro, which replaces the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
In January 2015, the government executed “Oplan Exodus” which aimed to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Abdul Basit Usman. The operation claimed the lives of 44 SAF members, 18 MILF members, and three civilians.
In March 2015, the Philippine Senate concluded the investigation on Mamasapano incident. The report said that the late President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III should be held accountable for giving consent to and failing to prevent the unlawful exercise of official functions in reference to the role of then PNP Director Alan Purisima in the operations. It sought an explanation from Aquino on the failure in using the resources available as commander-in-chief to save the lives of the SAF operatives.
Butch Malang, chair of the MILF’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities in his interviews on the Mamasapano Massacre said that the PNP-SAF violated the government and MILF’s ceasefire agreement and the Implementing Guidelines of the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group for failing to coordinate the operations through the established protocols of the ceasefire mechanisms
In January 2016, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile pushed to reopen the investigation. Robredo, then Camarines Sur Representative and Vice Presidential candidate, positioned not to reinvestigate since the 2016 National Elections was approaching and there is a danger that it might be used by those who wanted to gain publicity. She added that a considerable amount of time has already been spent for the investigation.
The investigation committee was headed by Senator Grace Poe who was running for President and incumbent Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Francis Escudero, and Gregorio Honasan who were running for Vice President.
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