The tough-talking mayor of Davao City, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte reveald on Sunday, January 24, 2016 that he was with President Benigno S. Aquino III in Zamboanga City during the day that the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers were killed in botched Mamasapano incident last January 25, 2015.
The revelation of presidential candidate Mayor Duterte was made during an interview with local reporters in Zamboanga City where the mayor had a dialogue with the families of the fallen SAF44. Mayor Duterte noted that he was invited last year by the former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas to be with Pres. Aquino’s group at Edwin Andrews Airbase.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte stated that due to the invitation of Pres. Aquino, he decided to visit the chief executive in Davao City and he arrived at 5:30 p.m. The Davao City mayor was in Davao City during that time because he had a meeting with supporters in Zamboanga.
The 70-year-old Mayor Duterte, however, did not refused to provide details of what happened and what was discussed with the president during that time, describing the event as an “invitation in confidentiality.”
Although Mayor Duterte did not reveal the reasons behind his stay in Zamboanga and his meeting the president, he said that he might be compelled to talk should he be called to the Senate reinvestigation of the Mamasapano incident.
