IIRC asks public to be patient as Palace reviews recommendations

The Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) that probed the August 23 hostage incident asked the public to be patient as the Palace legal team reviews the IIRC's recommendations. For the first time since it was created in August, the IIRC issued a statement "to correct speculations that abound the nature of the IIRC's recommendations." "The IIRC asks for patience in waiting for the release of the portion of its report on recommendations, in defernce to the comments of the Office of the President, which are both surely forthcoming," the IIRC said. The government made public the report on Monday but it did not contain the following portions: Accountability, Recommendations, Highlights, and Epilogue. Aquino said his legal team will review the recommendations while he is in the United States for a weeklong working visit. The government and the IIRC have received flak for not disclosing the full report. Who are liable? Aquino and IIRC chairperson, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, disclosed that 13 persons and the three broadcast networks may be held liable. These are: - Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno; - Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez; - Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III; - Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno; - Former Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa; - National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Leocadio Santiago; - Manila Police District chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay (on leave); - Superintendent Orlando Yebra, chief negotiator during the hostage crisis; - Chief Inspector Santiago Pascual, head of the MPD-SWAT team; - RMN anchor Michael Rogas and Erwin Tulfo - DZXL station manager - Television networks ABS-CBN, GMA-7, TV5 Some persons in mentioned in the IIRC report, such as Lim, have disputed their being included on the list of persons who may be held liable for the alleged mishandling of the hostage crisis. Puno likewise said he is prepared to contest possible any criminal action that may be lodged against him. Administrative, criminal sanctions In its statement on Tuesday, the IIRC hinted that the persons named on the list face possible sanctions because of "their acts of commission and/or omission." The panel also said their recommendations mostly revolved around the initiation of administrative proceedings or specific adminsitrative offenses under the applicable rules of the National Police Commission or of the Philippine National Police and the Local Government Code. The IIRC also said the recommendations may also include the initiation of "preliminary investigation for possible criminal liability arising from the acts of omissions as determined by the IIRC, or further investigation or referral to appropriate fora." Earlier in the day, De Lima said the committee hopes the Palace legal team will not drastically alter its recommendations. In its statement, the IIRC added that it trusts Aquino will do the right thing. "We trust his sound judgment in coming up with a fair, judicious, and accountable action plan to implement our recommendations," the committee said. –VVP, GMANews.TV