MILF chief negotiator Iqbal refuses to reveal true name--is it mocking Congress?

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What's to fear when your President says his subordinate lied to him?

Now, it's back to Napenas, after President Pnoy initially said, it was Alan Purisima who fooled him on the true situation of the 44 SAF troopers who went to Mamasapano only to meet inhumane deaths.

In his 3pm meeting with religious leaders, Pnoy accused Napenas of giving him false information, of "fooling" and "lying to him."

This is quite insane and very dangerous, if you ask me.

The president simply admitted his incompetence. The question really is--why did the President allowed himself to be fooled and lied with? If you are a competent leader, the next best thing that any normal leader would do is re-validate the information from other sources?

President Aquino is arguably, the most powerful man in this country. He has in his control, thousands of people. Is he saying that he wasn't able to re-validate the information using other sources? Don't tell me that during the Mamasapano operation, it was only Napenas who knew what was happening? 

Being the leader, the Chief Executive and the Commander-in-Chief, Aquino has both the AFP and the PNP in his beck and call. Likewise, Aquino has billions of pesos of intelligence funds at his disposal. He likewise has the NICA and other agencies and of course, he has his OPAPP and his buddy, ARMM governor Mujiv Hataman at his side, always ready to supply him with information, truthful information.

Likewise, don't tell me that those 12 long hours, Aquino did not think of calling other people to provide him with truthful information to guide him in his actions? 

It appears that Pnoy knew all along what was happening--then, why did he not call MILF leader Al Haj Murad directly and asked him if Murad can command his troops and ask them to stand down? Don't tell me that these things did not cross the mind of Aquino.

Because if it didn't, then, we have a very serious problem of competence here. 

We have a President that is as clueless and as gullible as any other ordinary guy bordering on stupidity.

How many times did other people fool this president? How can you now trust this President who does not even know how to re-validate information given to him? Who believes information given to him and prefers to stick to his guns inspite of the fact that the basis of his belief lies on faulty or wrongful premises?

President Aquino just revealed how incompetent he was and is still is, as leader of this country. How shameful that his incompetence led to the deaths of these men.

BOI report on Mamasapano massacre aims for closure

JM, do you know why we are in such a state of poverty and of political anarchy? Do you know why our democracy is one of the weakest in the world?

My son, read our History and you'll find that our democracy is one which sits atop a mound of human bones. We have piled up so many that the souls of those who died tragically continually shout themselves hoarse up to the Highest Heavens, yet no one seems to mind them among the living.

From the very beginnings of this Republic, inhumanity and injustice have attended its inauguration. Several of our patriotic kin died without getting justice.

Do we now continue this with the forty four members of the Special Action Force (SAF)? Do we sweep it under the rug just to please our "partners in peace"--the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)?

Today, the PNP Board of Inquiry will submit its "un-biased" investigation on the incident. Senior superintendent Magalong who heads the board, will submit his report to the President.

At this point, no one knows what are the recommendations included in the report. Surely, like any other police report, there are two (2) kinds of people in this report---victims and the ones who perpetuated the crime.

Likewise, the BOI report did not include a testimony from the President himself because the board did not interview the Chief Executive.

Now, the question really is---what will we do with the report? What if the report recommends the prosecution of certain members of the MILF? Will the MILF submit to the jurisdiction of the Republic of the Philippines considering that the rebel group thinks it is a separate sovereign having been granted belligerency status by Aquino?

The ends of justice actually actually goes and ends exactly at the very footsteps of the MILF leadership. This report can be used to file criminal charges against those who perpetuated this dastardly and inhumane crime. The next question is---will government exercise its strong political will and go after those named principals and accomplices--even if these people are members of the MILF?

The test of this administration remains. In fact, it is just starting. 

Dear Pnoy

Dear Pnoy,

Five years ago, I was one of those bloggers who wrote about you, and defended you from my colleagues online. Many were bashing you, accusing you of being simple minded, and without qualifications. You were being attacked by almost everyone online because no one knew you. No one ever heard of your name except of course, when your mother died and you were suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

I don't usually endorse anybody here in this site but five years ago, I broke my promise and endorsed your name here. There is something in me which protested but for the sake of the country, I deemed it wise to defend you and shield you from brickbats.

Many were saying that you're incompetent because for the ten years you served as congressman and eventually, senator, nothing substantial came out of it. Ask me what law did you were able to pass that benefited everyone and I'll be hard put identifying one. Ask me if during your stint as Congressman did you even do something, anything that benefitted Tarlac, and again, i'll be very hard for me to identify one.

Ask me if, during your stint as senator, you did something for the sake of the many, and like the first two questions, again, it'll be very hard to answer that.

I guess during those times when I spent sometime at the Balai, the headquarters of Mar Roxas in 2009 and 2010 when I met you, I felt that I owe it to you to support you. Never mind if supporting you means like supporting Erap. The fact of the matter is, there was this sense of urgency felt by many that we need someone like you to lead because those who want to serve were either very rich, hence, having a personal agenda why they want the presidency or very "dogg-ish" or "puppy-like" meaning a bet of a hated administration.

When your name was called after a short brownout early in the morning, I figured that you were the one chosen as a good "compromise" among elites. These elites allowed or probably even "conspired" to elect you because first, you spent ten years of your life living as a corporate man and two, ten years of being a politician. For me, that's enough preparation for you, even though many people doubted you.

Your first executive order was a dud. But your speech was okey. And then the Manila hostage crisis happened. Was it a portent of things to come? I hoped not.

Then, the first three years were okey, when I was fortunate enough to see changes in the attitude and behaviour of people working in government. I saw it first hand.

I saw changes happening at the bureau of immigration. I saw some change in the bureau of customs. I saw how happy government employees were, inspite of the downsizing of some and forced resignations of many.

And then came 2014. I was privy of how corrupt some of your men became. Some of them were asked to come up with funds for their political parties. They were using their positions to get some monies.

Then some of your men ordered some publicists to hit Vice president Binay. Conniving with a wealthy miner, they tried to cast aspersions against the second in command.

Then, two typhoons came which many died due to government neglect. This caused me to think--am I being managed by a competent president and government? Those casualties might have been avoided.

And now, this massacre of your own police force by those you admit to have trusted and by those you considered your friends and allies.

This incident should not be swept under the rug. It says something else if the President himself of the Republic would not give justice to those whose jobs are to secure justice for all.

Mr. President, this is not something which you can just wash your hands ala Caesar. No.

This has tremendous impact on the nature and future of this Republic. This issue is more than skin deep. This issue hits the very core of your legitimacy as the leader of 100 million souls--this is all about authority.

Mr. President you have allowed the MILF to assume a status of belligerency, something which was not even in the minds of your predecessors simply because they know the implications of such a thing.

Mr. President by doing so, you have subverted the will of the people and placed democracy at death's knell. You have now allowed disfranchisement of this Nation which our ancestors have worked so hard to create.

There is still time for you to change your mind. There is even time for you to think very hard on what you want to do.