Press Release
January 26, 2015

Statement by Senate President Franklin M. Drilon

I condemn the unfortunate and unwarranted encounter between the members of our Philippine National Police and the Muslim rebels. I sympathize with the victims and their families.

We are at a crucial point in our history as a nation where we are in the process of creating and embedding peace in Mindanao, that is why we denounce to the strongest terms any act that poses a grave risk of thwarting every success we have made so far in the peace process.

We should not, however, allow this unfortunate incident and the deaths of our policemen, condemnable as it is, to stand in the way of efforts to bring lasting and genuine peace and development in Mindanao. It must all the more strengthen our desire and resolve for peace.

I therefore call on authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation and get to the bottom of this tragedy that killed 50 of our policemen. Our nation deserves an explanation as to why dozens of our brave policemen doing their duties had to die in such a manner.

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