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If heads must roll, bigger heads must roll

Press Statements
  • Office of Minority Leader Edcel C. Lagman
  • 22 September 2010
  • 0916-6406737 / 0918-9120137

 

           No concrete assessment could be made of the IIRC Report on the hostage rescue fiasco as long as President Benigno Aquino III withholds disclosure of the more substantial portions on “Conclusions on Accountability” and “Recommendations”.

           If the President holds the major aspects of the report close to his breast longer, popular clamor for their immediate and full disclosure may burn his chest.

           But what is apparent is that the reported culprits could be classified into four sectors: (1) officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) like former Director General Jesus Verzosa, Chief Supt Rodolfo Magtibay, Chief Supt. Leocadio Santiago, Supt. Orlando Yerba,  and Senior Inspector Santiago Pascual; (2) officials of the local government of the City of Manila like Mayor Alfredo Lim and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno; (3) representatives of broadcast media and television networks; and (4) Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzales III.

           The alleged culprits in the first three groups are directly under the responsibility and accountability of Secretary Jesse Robredo of the Department of the Interior and Local Government with respect to concerned police and local officials and to Secretaries Herminio Coloma and Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications Group with respect to broadcast media.

           The Philippine National Police and the local government units are under the jurisdiction of the DILG Secretary.

           On the other hand, media practitioners and officials claim that they would have heeded advice from Malacañang officials like Coloma and Carandang to observe caution and proper protocol on hostage taking coverage but there was neither instruction nor coordination from these top officials.

           It would be recalled that a day after the fatal hostage-taking, I led the call for the resignation of Robredo, Coloma and Carandang.

           A thorough, fair and judicious investigation report should have ensnared Robredo, Coloma and Carandang for culpable acts of omission and negligence and for failing to exercise command responsibility.

           If heads must roll, bigger heads must roll.