Will heads roll after the probe?

Monday, 06 September 2010 00:00

Written by Tony La Viña

Two weeks after the botched hostage rescue operation, the chain reaction of aftereffects continues to hound and trail the Aquino government. Some latest developments include the President apologizing anew, PNP Chief Versoza taking responsibility for his men’s failure and announcing his early retirement from the service, a senator blaming the media for their irresponsible coverage, a Senate inquiry in the offing, and more calls to make officials accountable for their incompetence. Adding to the cacophony is a demand by the Hong Kong Legislative Council for a public apology and compensation for the victims’ families. Expect more political fallouts in the days ahead.

Amid the mounting noise and collective outcry generated by this unfortunate affair, Justice Secretary de Lima, head of the Joint Incident Investigation and Review Committee (JIIRC), announced a two-day extension of the investigation which JIIRC was scheduled to wrap up last Monday. So far, the inquiry has revealed a catalogue of errors on the part of the police and local officials who took part in the negotiations – one of which shows that some members of the crisis management committee left the command post for a coffee break. Piece by piece, sad details after another, the whole picture of the hostage drama is being uncovered by the investigation. Thus far, all police and local officials have been called to the hearing with only the re-enactment still to be carried out on Wednesday.

As always, Secretary de Lima is leading a thorough and fair job probing into every inch of the action to bring out a complete and credible picture of this manmade calamity. Atty. Roan Libarios of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and anti-crime activist Teresita Ang-See have also asked good questions. As expected, Secretary Jesse Robredo has been adding value to the probe with his experience in peace and order at a local level. The media representative, however, still needs to have his presence felt – a glaring gap in the investigation given the role of media in the events of August 23.

In any case, at this stage, an impartial and thorough hostage investigation is crucial in order to identify loopholes in our national security and the measures to adopt to ensure a successful response to a similar, if not graver crisis. A credible investigation has a cathartic effect on those affected – especially the families of the victims, and the best outcome from it would be the normalization of the strained ties between Hong Kong and the Philippines.

With the conclusion of the hostage-taking investigation set for Wednesday before a formal report is submitted to President Aquino and Hong Kong authorities, the ball is now in the hands of the Philippine President for an opportunity to show the world that this government is not all about bungling and embarrassing lapses in judgment.

How will the President respond to these findings? Will heads roll? Whose heads? What do you think?

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites