Should President Aquino apologize for the Mamasapano incident?
For the President's cousin, Sen. Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV, those calling for the President to apologize for the Mamasapano tragedy are setting a trap.
The senator said his cousin has already assumed responsibility for the Mamasapano carnage and had said he will take the knowledge of the incident to his grave.
He said that while an apology is really the President's decision, the President's enemies would surely use the apology to advance their own political ambitions come 2016.
"We don't live in a vacuum. Right now, a lot of the moves are really towards 2016. We are almost sure it's a trap. We are almost sure na as soon as mag sorry siya, someone is going to say 'O, bakit naka-smile?' 'O bakit hindi sincere ang mukha?' 'O bakit ganun ang tono ng boses niya?' I am almost sure that those who are asking to say sorry are already ready with their statement after he does so," he told ANC.
The senator said that instead of an apology, there are three things that the government can do - prosecute those responsible for the killings, take care of the families of the fallen Special Action Force commandos and ensure that the same incident does not happen again in Mindanao.
President Aquino has come under fire for the Mamasapano mission, which saw 44 SAF commandos killed by Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and armed groups.
A draft Senate report earlier said the President is "ultimately responsible" for the outcome of the Mamasapano mission but that it is the MILF, BIFF and other groups who massacred the SAF men.
In the interview, Sen. Bam Aquino said he has reservations about some parts of the draft report particularly on the issue of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
He objected to a line in the report that said the government peace panel was "too optimistic" about the BBL and that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law is one of the casualties of the Mamasapano incident.
"Very categorical and concluding on the BBL...I think that is beyond the scope of the report to conclude," he said.
He noted the BBL was not talked about in length by the Senate during the hearings on the Mamasapano incident.
Aquino said other senators want more facts in the report including Sen. Sonny Trillanes who revealed some of the information that came out in the Senate executive sessions.
He said the final Senate report might be very different from the draft report shown by Sen. Grace Poe.