Unpublished IIRC report
scores Lim, Puno, Verzosa

Our latest report reveals the contents of the unpublished portions of the 82-page report of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) about the Rizal Park Hostage-taking Incident. It discusses as well how, by the accounts of informed sources, President Aquino sought to ease the situation for three senior officials – Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, Interior and Local Government Secretary Rico E. Puno, and recently retired PNP Director General Jesus A. Verzosa.

On the day he received the IIRC report in Malacanang, the President had blurted out: “Napatapang ‘ata masyado ah. Bakit kasama pa sila Puno, Lim, at Verzosa?” [It’s too strongly worded. Why are we implicating Puno, Lim and Verzosa?]

This is according to some of those present at the IIRC’s meeting with Aquino last Sept. 17. The president was, of course, referring to the trio, who are among his closest personal and political allies. The remark caught everyone by surprise. He had not yet finished reading the report but all at once the president expressed his reservations about including the trio among the culpable parties.

He told them he had no problem, however, about filing suit against the other police officers named in the report.

The three are also the most senior of the 10 officials that the IIRC said should face administrative and criminal sanctions for the death of eight foreign nationals after disgruntled Police Senior Inspector Rolando D. Mendoza held hostage a Hong-Thai Tour bus on August 23, 2010.