CIDG chief and Board of Inquiry chairman Police Director Benjamin Magalong (UNTV News)
MANILA, Philippines – CIDG chief and Board of Inquiry chairman Police Director Benjamin Magalong admitted they were irked by erroneous reports on their investigation on the Mamasapano operation.
Magalong specifically cited yesterday’s report saying that he cleared the President over the Mamasapano incident after he was summoned for a meeting on Tuesday.
The general insisted whatever the President told him will not affect the BOI report because it was already completed and released to the public.
“First of all, nothing was changed in the result of our investigation. I just explained to you what issues the President raised to me but will it change the conclusion of BOI report? It does not,” Magalong said.
The BOI head also said that they have been very transparent with their investigation even when their careers were at stake so it was disappointing for him that it appears he had sold their principles and ruined the dignity and integrity of the BOI and PNP.
“We already set aside our personal ambitions for us to be very objective here, because we owe the public, we owe SAF 44, we owe those families to give justice to their slain family members then on just one particular interview I will be maligned? It was quite disappointing. Would you not be?” Magalong added.
He added that it was also clear in the BOI report that the President used his prerogative to directly talk with former SAF chief Getulio Napeñas and this is a violation of the chain of command.
Magalong said that while the President is outside the PNP’s chain of command based on the 2013 fundamental doctrine which begins with the PNP Chief, this doesn’t mean that he has no liability because he still bypassed the chain of command.
Malacañang, on the other hand, said, nothing can be changed or added to the BOI report because it was already submitted and finalized.
“That is what we also know that the report they submitted is already final and according to him there are no changes or addition made to it or nothing was taken away from it or any other thing because that’s already final and it’s a matter of public record,” PCOO Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.
Magalong appealed to the media to just report the news and do not add speculations to it.
(Grace Casin / UNTV News)