Purisima asked AFP for support during Mamasapano clash – general

Former Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima sent texts to a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines seeking reinforcements for the PNP Special Action Force members who clashed with rebels in a heavy firefight in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last month.

This was the statement of Major General Benito De Leon, AFP Inspector General, during the Senate hearing on Monday led by the committee on public order and dangerous drugs.

De Leon was the head of the military's fact-finding committee on the Mamasapano clash.

De Leon said that the sacked PNP chief twice texted Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero of the Western Mindanao Command on the morning of January 25 seeking reinforcement for the PNP SAF personnel while the Mamasapano operation was ongoing.

"At 6:05 and 6:06 a.m., Westmincom commander received texts from Purisima requesting if he can call," the AFP official said.

Instead of answering the texts, Guerrero first called the commander of the 6th Infantry Division and inquired if they knew about the operation.

Then Guerrero called Purisima.

"PNP Chief Purisima was requesting support units in the area," De Leon said.

In media interviews, Purisima denied having a hand in the deadly SAF operation while it was ongoing.

He said that he was at home in Nueva Ecija on that day.

The January 25 incident resulted in the deaths of the 44 elite policemen, 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and four civilians.

The PNP SAF's mission was to serve warrants of arrest on two suspected terrorists—Malaysian Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, and Filipino bomb maker Basit Usman—who were confirmed to be hiding in the area.

Marwan, who has a $5 million bounty on his head, reportedly died during the clash, while Usman managed to escape. — BM, GMA News