Mamasapano clash a massacre, not misencounter, says ex-DILG Sec. Alunan

It may have been a "misencounter" for the government, but a former cabinet secretary thinks that it’s a massacre.

 

“Hindi po misencounter ‘yun. Massacre ‘yun,” said former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Rafael Alunan in an interview with Unang Balita’s Arnold Clavio and Rhea Santos on Friday.

The clash on Sunday between the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters claimed the lives of 44 police officers and injured 12 others. 

The shootout took place at Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The PNP-SAF were there to serve warrants of arrest against Malaysian Zulkifli Bin Hir (alias Commander Marwan) and Filipino bombmaker and Abu Sayyaf member Abdul Bassit Usman, whose presence was confirmed in the area.

 

 

Alunan went on to clarify that if it were a misencounter, then it would not have gone on for hours. It would have stopped as soon as they saw that they were not shooting at the enemy.

Alunan also added that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters went around shooting already-dead officers to make sure there were no survivors.

 

“Sa akin, hindi misencounter ‘yun,” he said.

 

Adherence to a chain of command

 

If the reports coming out are true, Alunan said current DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and acting Philippine National Police Chief Leonardo Espina were both bypassed.

 

An operation like this, involving high-value international terrorists with bounties, “has to be vetted, thoroughly reviewed, and analyzed by the entire chain of command” so that coordination and support elements are in place should the need arise.

 

Alunan also pointed out that the area the PNP-SAF officers went into in Mamasapano was a killing zone; there was only one point of ingress and egress. “They were asking for trouble from the very beginning.”

On Purisima’s involvement
 

When asked if it was highly irregular for a suspended official to be involved the mission, Alunan responded that it was.

 

Last year, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the suspension of then-Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima following reports of his supposed involvement with anomalous PNP contracts in 2011.

 

According to Alunan, the decision to have Purisima continue to give Aquino advice could have been due to presidential discretion and nobody could question that fact. However, it was not the right decision. “Is it the right thing? Tama ba 'yung ginagawa mo? Eh, mali.”

 

He added that during his time as DILG secretary, they would investigate any mistakes or deaths so they could address the root causes and avoid making the same mistakes in the future. But in the aftermath of the Mamasapano incident, the current administration seems more interested in avoiding accountability.

 

All-out justice, not war

 

Instead of all-out war, we should be seeking all-out justice, Alunan said. While there is justice, the peace process should proceed.

 

He added that the process should start with the people, not the government. Even if the government does everything it can to promote peace, if the people themselves do not want it, then nothing will happen.

 

Peace talks assume that both parties are sincere. But Alunan said that the fact that the MILF and BIFF were protecting an international terrorist shows that they were not sincere, and that the peace talks should be set aside for the meantime. —Bea Montenegro/KG, GMA News