PNP-SAF chief relieved after Mamasapano ‘misencounter’

By AMANDA FERNANDEZ, GMA News

Published January 27, 2015 11:45am

(Updated 4:01 p.m.) The head of the elite PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) has been relieved following the bloody "misencounter" between government forces and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mamasapano, Maguindanao over the weekend.

At a press conference in Camp Crame on Tuesday, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said Director Getulio Pascua Napeñas will be out from his post "pending the outcome of the board of inquiry" that will look into the Jan. 25 incident that left 44 SAF members killed and 12 others wounded.

The incident, which Roxas described as "the largest loss of life in recent memory" among the SAF, occurred on the eve of the PNP's 24th founding anniversary.

"We have directed the administrative relief of SAF [commander] Director Leo Napeñas from his current duties pending the outcome of this board of inquiry," Roxas said.

"He has been recalled back to Manila. He was given a chance yesterday [Monday] to help retrieve the bodies of his men, he added.

PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina said Napeñas' deputy, Chief Superintendent Noli Talino, will temporarily take over the PNP-SAF.

Board of inquiry

Meanwhile, Roxas said they have set up a board of inquiry to tackle the "tactical level" of the firefight.

Roxas said the board will determine if there are any operational lapses that led to the firefight.

"Una, kung mayroon mang lapses, at kung mayroon man dapat managot, papanagutin natin," he said. "Pangalawa, para matuto na rin, from a doctrinal or a tactical or preparation point of view, para 'yung susunod na operation ng PNP ay matuto kung ano mang matuklasan sa board of inquiry na ito."

For his part, Espina said the board will determine if the officers who led the SAF operations would be administratively or criminally liable for the deaths of the elite policemen.

"We would like to get to the bottom of things, what happened, how did this happen, how can this happen..." he said. "We would like to give justice to our fallen heroes, 'yung mga police nating namatay..."

"This includes external liability, lahat nung mga pumatay ng ating mga kapulisan," he added.

Not informed?

When asked if the PNP command group was informed of the operation, both Roxas and Espina admitted that they were not. They added this would be tackled by the board of inquiry.

The board of inquiry will be headed by Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) head Chief Superintendent Edgardo Ingking, along with Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Police Director Benjamin Magalong and Directorate for Research and Development head Chief Superintendent Catalino Rodriguez Jr.

Roxas said the board will interview all members of the SAF to determine any operational lapses in the misencounter.

Citing initial information they received on Monday, Roxas said a misencounter with the MILF occurred after some SAF members tried to avert the attack of the BIFF.

"Mayroon umanong BIFF na umatake doon sa ating mga tropa, at iniwasan ito ng isang (SAF) unit, pumasok sila sa lugar kung saan may MILF, kaya nagkaroon ng misecounter on that side," he said.

However, these would still be verified at the board inquiry, he stressed.

Warrant vs. Manwar

The PNP-SAF launched the operation in order to serve an arrest warrant against Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli bin Hir alias Commander Marwan whose presence had been confirmed in the area.

Authorities have yet to confirm if Manwar was killed during the operation.

During the press conference, Roxas said that based on initial information they received, Manwar was killed, but no body was recovered.

"May pictures, idadaan sa proseso para masabi kung si Manwar nga 'yon," he said.

On Monday, Mohagher Iqbal, Moro group's chief peace negotiator, stressed that the attack launched by members of the MILF against elements of the PNP-SAF was "self-defense" on their part.

Iqbal pointed to the PNP-SAF members as the ones who fired first in the clash, which also reportedly involved members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a splinter group of the MILF.

Proper burial and assistance

Meanwhile, Roxas said PNP Director for Comptrollership Rolly Purugganan has been assigned to coordinate with the families of the 44 killed and 12 wounded in the firefight "to ensure na lahat ng tulong na dapat mapasakanila ay makarating."

"Hindi 'yung pipila pa sila sa kung ano mang mesa," he added. "Trabaho ni Purugganan na makarating ang tulong na ito sa mga pamilya ng mga nasawi... The PNP will ensure the proper burial and assistance para sa kanila."

The PNP earlier said surviving kin of slain policemen in the Maguindanao encounter are entitled to receive death benefits ranging from P1.5 million to P2 million.

PNP members of the Public Safety Mutual Benefit Fund are also entitled to death insurance ranging from P225,000 to P417,000 depending on rank, it added. These death benefits are on top of the estimated P15,000 monthly lifetime pension from the PNP and roughly the same amount of pension for five years from the Napolcom.

Peace process

Also during the press conference, Roxas said that despite the bloody clash, the PNP still pushes for passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

"Tuloy ang tiwala at kumpiyansa ng PNP sa peace process na bagaman napakalungkot, tindi ng kapaitan ng pangyayari, ang mas malawak na peace process ay mahalaga at kabahagi ang PNP sa pagsulong ng kasalukuyang peace process," he said.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law will embody the peace agreement signed by the Philippine goverment and the MILF last March, which aims to end the decades-old conflict in Mindanao.

However, following the clash, the Senate committee on local government on Monday suspended the hearings on the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which will embody the peace agreement signed by the Philippine government with the MILF in March 2014.

At the House of Representatives, the ad hoc committee on the BBL has also decided to suspend the discussions on the measure’s provisions pertaining to national defense and public order following the clash. — with Reuters/RSJ/KG, GMA News

Tags: mamasapanoclash, milf, biff, specialactionforce