Q: Ano ang magiging scope ng iimbestigahan ng Truth Commission?

 

Bam: I think ngayon kasi ang daming misinformation na umiikot. Marami tayong nakukuhang mga text, mga post sa social media, contradictory, magkakaiba-iba and sometimes downright talagang misinformation.

Ang pinakamahalaga rito sa Truth Commission ay mailabas niya kung ano ba talaga iyong nangyari. What really happened, what really transpired and at the end, also go towards accountabilities. Kung ano ba ang accountabilities ng bawat grupo.

Right now, kung titingnan mo talaga iyong mga information na lumalabas, halu-halo tsaka magkaka-iba-iba.

The purpose of this is to really ferret out the truth and eventually deemed towards accountability. Makuha talaga ang hustisya na hinahanap ng taumbayan.

On the other hand, kung ano talaga ang nangyari doon sa operational matters of this Oplan Wolverine, so to speak, maganda talagang makita natin. We really need to find out the minutest detail what really happened and whose really accountable.

 

Q: With several bodies investigating, there might be confusion in the process and how would you deal with irreconcilable statements?

 

Bam: Unang-una, I’m of the mindset that these parallel bodies that will investigate, they really need to happen because iba’t ibang perspective iyan.

The PNP Board of Inquiry will of course report based on their perspective as policeman. The Senate will conduct its own inquiry and the House, at some point, will also conduct its own inquiry.

In fact, what we produce can be consolidated, can be verified, puwedeng ibangga sa output ng Truth Commission. Hindi naman ibig sabihin na isang Truth Commission, isa lang dapat ang nag-iimbestiga.

Different groups can investigate. Even the media is already investigating. I mean, it’s not a government body pero patuloy rin ang pag-iimbestiga ng media.

Mahalaga na lumalabas lahat ng mga perspektibong ito. Mahalaga na makita natin ang iba’t ibang signs but again this Truth Commission, if legislated, will be the body that is supposed out with finality doon sa fact-finding aspect of what happened.

I can probably imagine that the output of all these bodies will also be entered into the Truth Commission’s work. Kapag naglabas na sila ng fact-finding output o ng kanilang report, ganoon po ang lalamanin ng lahat ng government bodies na nagsagawa rin ng kanilang imbestigasyon.

 

Q: How critical is the result of this Truth Commission to the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law?

 

A: I think it’s quite critical. Mahalaga po talaga. I think all of us here are supportive of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Wala naman ho sa amin dito ang nag-withdraw ng aming suporta.

Pero ang hinahanap ng taumbayan ngayon hustisya. We need to find justice and the truth with regard to this issue upang pagbalik ng ating talks natin sa BBL, mas mapapalakas pa natin iyong BBL. Mas mapapalakas pa natin iyong kagustuhang magkaroon ng kapayapaan.

I predict that the BBL will probably have to be modified, or changed or amended based on what had happened.

Hindi naman puwede namang mawala na lang ito. I think iyong hangarin na magkaroon ng kapayapaan, hindi rin puwedeng mawala.

Definitely, there will be repercussions and changes in the BBL because of what happened not just because of the report of the Truth Commission.

Palagay ko, mahalaga na i-state natin na ang kapayapaan sa Mindanao, mahalaga po iyan, kailangan pong ipagpatuloy iyan. Kailangang ipagpalaban iyan but not at the expense of anything else.

Hanapin po natin ang hustisya dito sa isyung ito. Iyon naman ang hinahanap ng mga pamilya ng mga namatay na SAF 44.

Iyan din ang hinahanap ng taumbayan. Hanapin natin ang katotohanan.

Let’s hold accountable those who need to be held accountable so that if we resume the talks sa BBL or when we continue the push for peace, mas magiging malakas pa ang pagtulak natin sa kapayapaan.

 

Q: In the meantime, the passage of the BBL will be delayed?

 

A: Na-suspend po ang hearing sa BBL pero marami pong isyu na dapat talakayin doon. Senator Miriam is tackling constitutionality. Sa amin pong opisina, maraming pong naghikayat ng concerns ng indigenous people at kabataan.

A lot of these meetings and hearings can probably continue but the final output natin, talagang maaapektuhan po iyan nitong ating mga pinag-uusapan. Kasi hindi naman po siyan basta-basta ipapasa.

Marami pa pong kailangang gawing pag-aaral, hearings na tuluy-tuloy naman po ang pagsasagawa niyan.

I would suggest that we settle the issue on the SAF 44, iyong justice for SAF 44 as soon as possible so we can really get back to the BBL as soon as possible also.