Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Enrile: ‘Scarborough fiasco’ another ‘unsolved mystery’ like Mamasapano massacre if not investigated

Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile is calling for an investigation into the “Scarborough fiasco” so the people that caused the loss of the territory will be held liable.

If no investigation is carried out, Enrile is worried the incident will be another Mamasapano massacre that remained unsolved.

The latest statement of Enrile was posted on his Facebook page, days after praising President Duterte’s friendly stance towards China in the West Philippine Sea dispute.

“To be fair to everyone concerned, let us, once and for all, pinpoint who bears or bear the blame, and call ‘a spade a spade,'” Enrile said.

“Otherwise, the Scarborough loss, would again just be another unsolved mystery, like the Mamasapano massacre,” he said.

China took control of Panatag Shoal after the Philippines pulled out its ships from the territory during a standoff in 2012. The pullout was supposedly part of the deal mediated by the United States. China has denied knowledge of such deal.

In his Facebook post, Enrile sought the probe to put an end to “finger pointing,” saying those officials involved must be unmasked and held accountable.

“To stop the finger pointing going on regarding the loss of Scarborough from us, I respectfully suggest that the official or officials who caused that loss be unmasked,” he said.

“Let the ax fall on the neck of the official or officials who caused us that loss. The Philippine Navy should know who ordered them to withdraw,” he added.

Enrile has “many more unanswered questions” about the country’s loss of Scarborough Shoal after his recent visit to Malacañang.

His questions included if the identity of the people behind the supposed ship pullout agreement and if it was ever put into writing.

“If there was an agreement between the Philippines and China to withdraw from Scarborough, was the agreement in writing? Or was it simply a verbal understanding?” he asked.

“If it was written, was there a copy of that agreement in the official records of the national government? If there was, why was it kept a secret until now?” he said.

Enrile also asked who negotiated the agreement for the Philippines.

“Was it Antonio Trillanes, the secret agent appointed by President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino?” he asked.

“Was it Jose Cuisia, who was then the Philippine Ambassador to Washington D.C.? Was it Albert Del Rosario, who then the Secretary of Foreign Affairs? Or was it Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino himself, who was then the incumbent President of the country?”

He also asked who served as the mediator to bring about that agreement between the Philippines and China.

“And who selected that mediator? Was the mediator an Asian, an African, an American, a European or an ice man or ice woman?” he said.

He also wanted to know who ordered the withdrawal of the Philippine Navy from Scarborough.

“With our stand off with China at the time, there was only one who could have ordered the pull out of the Philippine Navy from Scarborough. And that was the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he said.