The latest mindless drivel from the mouth of Philippine President and Xi Jinping’s favorite pet Rodrigo

Duterte is that Senatorial candidate Mar Roxas was “responsible” for the Mamasapano misencounter
of 2015 that resulted in 67 casualties. In a PDP-Laban campaign rally, Duterte “dared” Roxas to
explain why the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) had no
reinforcements or backup in their operation to arrest Malaysian bombmaker Zulkifli bin Hir, alias
"Marwan."

First, let’s get a few things straight. Mamasapano, while tragic, wasn’t some massacre. It was a
misencounter between two forces that had no intention of engaging one another. It was an operation
gone FUBAR because someone couldn’t be arsed to tell the right people the right information at the
right time.

Second, before you say “SAF44,” do remember that there were a total of 67 casualties that day.
Including 15 Moro fighters, and 8 *civilians.* It’s mind-blowing to think that this President, who prides
himself in being from Mindanao, sticks to the version of the Mamasapano narrative that conveniently
ignores the deaths of Mindanaoans in that tragedy. Is Duterte the President only of the police?

This whole deal with Duterte calling out Roxas on Mamasapano is silly, really. Duterte has gone to the
wellspring of the Mamasapano misencounter numerous times, usually to score points off of former
President Benigno “PNoy” Aquino III. But not once has Duterte ever linked the tragedy to Roxas, until
a few days ago.

Really, puppy Digong? Di na ba gumagana yung Yolanda BS ng mga alipores mo, so Mamasapano
naman?

Duterte promised back in 2017 that there would be a ”truth commission” to reinvestigate the
Mamasapano tragedy. But as with all of Duterte’s promises that don’t involve China or the Marcoses,
paasa lang si Duterte. Two years later, nganga ang lolo niyo. Tapos siya pa ang nagtatanong kay
Roxas?

If Duterte should be asking anyone, it should be his buddy former SAF head Getulio “Oplan: Exodus
Day Is Casual Clothes Day” Napenas. Napenas was the one who decided to keep the military and
Roxas out of the loop. Napenas even justified his failure to inform Roxas. In his own press conference
on 05 February 2016, this exchange happened between an unnamed reporter and Napenas:

”Reporter: Bakit si Sec. Mar hindi nasabihan? May instructions po ba na ganun sir?

Napenas: Yung sinabi ko kanina , yung impormasyon na papunta kay Sec. Roxas ng DILG, you would
see na doon sa chain of command ng PNP, Chief PNP o OIC PNP (referring to then suspended PNP
Director General Alan Purisima) ang aking unag sasabihan at hindi ako pwedeng lumaktaw agad
papunta sa ating secretary.”
If only Duterte would read the Board of Inquiry--PNP report on Mamasapano (conveniently removed
from the PNP Website after Duterte won, but still floating around the internet ) or even the findings
of the Ombudsman, he’d know that Roxas had nothing to do with Mamasapano.

(On this score I must beg to disagree with Edwin Lacierda, who recommended to President Lapdog to
read the Senate report. Honestly, don’t bother with the Senate report. It mostly repeats what the
BOI-PNP report says, only with far less technical details and more pa-drama “Sana ma-elect akong
Presidente dahil dito” statements.)

I know, I know, I’m hoping against hope that Duterte will read. That’s like hoping he’ll stop being a
China lackey or that he’ll grow a pair of testicles, we all know none of those are going to happen.

Pero libre naman ang mangarap.

If Duterte wants answers to relevant questions, maybe he should be asking himself why he decided to
skip a Marawi campaign sortie due to “bad weather,” when Marawi had only scattered clouds
throughout that day. Or why he feels the need to use “bulletproof glass” props for his recent
speeches, in front of crowds na hinakot lang din naman ng mga local execs who are still trying to curry
his favor. Or why Duterte thinks his undeclared income streams is nobody’s business, despite the
clear policy in the law being otherwise. Or why the PNP are so excited to hunt down Bikoy, but so
indifferent and disinterested in hunting down alleged drug lords Peter Lim or Michael Yang. Or, since
internet libel lang din naman ang banat ni Director General Albayalde, why no interest in going after
DDS bloggers who have demonstrably libeled many opposition public servants and Duterte critics
alike.

Instead of asking Roxas to comment about a matter that did not involve Roxas, maybe Duterte should
be asking himself why he is such an abject failure at being President.