Palace ‘modified’ some IIRC recommendations, sources say

Although the scheduled release of the full report of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) probe on the August 23 hostage tragedy was postponed, the Palace has already finished its review of the report and has modified some of the IIRC’s recommendations, according to GMA News sources. The IIRC full report was to have been released on Wednesday, together with the results of the review of report by the Palace legal team composed of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and presidential legal counsel Eduardo de Mesa. But the release was postponed by Malacañang supposedly to make sure that “everything is ironed out" and to avoid generating “more questions."
GMA News’ sources in Malacañang, however, said Ochoa and de Mesa have already finished their review of the IRRC report. The sources, who requested anonymity, said some of the recommendations of the IIRC, which was headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, were modified. According to the source, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim will be slapped only with administrative charges, while the criminal charges recommended by the IIRC will no longer be pursued. Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno meanwhile will no longer face administrative charges recommended against him. Recommended penalties for former Philippine National Police Jesus Verzosa and Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno were likewise removed, GMA News sources said. On the other hand, the legal team did not change anything with the recommended administrative charges against Manila Police District (MPD) chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay; National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Leocadio Santiago; Superintendent Orlando Yebra, chief negotiator during the hostage crisis; and Chief Inspector Santiago Pascual, head of the MPD Special Weapons and Tactics team. Sources likewise said the legal team decided to just leave with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas the possible sanctions on media outfits and personalities tagged as liable in the IIRC report. These include Radyo Mo Nationwide anchors Michael Rogas and Erwin Tulfo, DZXL station manager Jake Maderazo, as well as television networks ABS-CBN, GMA-7 and TV5 Making sure that ‘everything is ironed out’ The delay was announced by deputy presidential spokesperson Undersecretary Abigail Valte, who explained that Malacañang’s legal team is making sure everything is clarified before the release of the report and the legal review, according to a news report by GMA News’ “24 Oras." “They are making sure, kumbaga, plantsado na lahat pag nailabas, kasi ayaw naman nating ilabas na lang, tapos marami pang magiging tanong," Valte said. (They are making sure, as it were, that everything is ironed out for the release, as we don’t want to just release it, and then face many more questions.) President Benigno Aquino III earlier said the report and the legal review may be released on Wednesday. "We're coming out hopefully by tomorrow with the IIRC report, (and the) specific charges that will be filed against individuals involved. More or less (it will be) in line with the recommendations of the IIRC," Aquino said on Tuesday. Palace officials meanwhile denied that the move to delay the release of the report and the legal review is due to fears that it will overshadow Aquino’s ‘100 Days’ report scheduled on Thursday. The IIRC was formed to investigate the mishandling of the August 23 hostage tragedy. On that day, a dismissed senior police inspector, Rolando Mendoza, hijacked a bus carrying 21 Hong Kong tourists and four Filipinos. Mendoza was demanding for his reinstatement and the dismissal of a case against him in the Office of the Ombudsman. The 11-hour standoff at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila ended in bloodbath as eight Hong Kong tourists and Mendoza himself, were killed. The IIRC submitted its report to Aquino and Malacanang subsequently uploaded a copy of it on its website. However, the following portions were not made public: Accountability, Recommendations, Highlights, and Epilogue.—Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV