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Senators: Blame for Mamasapano clash should go beyond Napeñas


Senators agree that the buck on the Mamasapano clash does not stop with relieved Special Action Force chief Director Getulio Napeñas, but are divided whether it was President Benigno Aquino III or resigned Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima who should be blamed for the alleged lack of coordination.

Senator Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara said Wednesday that he doubts it was just Napeñas who gave the green light for Oplan Exodus to proceed, adding he believes it was Purisima who was on the lead in the covert operation that resulted in a clash with Moro guerillas that killed 44 elite policemen.

Oplan Exodus is the operation to issue the warrant of arrest on Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Filipino bomb-maker Abdul Basit Usman after their presence in the area was confirmed.

“I doubt it was just Napeñas. It’s probably Purisima who recommended or ordered it but he cannot admit that because he was suspended though it’s obvious he was calling the shots. Napeñas would not have done it himself,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Fall guy

Senator Sergio Osmeña III, for his part, believes Napeñas was just a “fall guy,” and that Aquino had a hand in the operation.

“Napeñas seems to be the fall guy, Purisima and PNoy (Aquino’s nickname) took charge. PNoy did not seem to take tactical control but illegally gave that to Purisima, thus violating the chain of command,” he said in a separate text message.

Osmeña also said it was Purisima, who resigned as PNP chief after the Mamasapano clash, who gave the order to bypass Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP officer-in-charge Director General Leonardo Espina.

In a radio interview, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said no one but Aquino who has the power to allow Purisima to join the meetings regarding Oplan Exodus despite his suspension due to corruption charges filed against him.

“Wala namang mago-authorize kay General Purisima na makilahok dito sa operation na ito. Wala namang pwedeng mag-order niyan, iisa lang siguro, wala nang mas tataas kay General Purisima kung hindi ang Pangulo,” he said.

Advice, not order

He said he cannot accept the explanation of Purisima that he gave only advice, and not order, to Napeñas.

“Ang katotohanan, kahit na nagpapayo lang siya sa mga opsiyal ng PNP, para sa kanila, mukhang order. Kaya kahit anong tawag niya: payo, advice, kung anu-anong salitang ginagamit, ang katotohanan parang order ang kanyang ginawa,” he said.

He said the problem with Purisima was that he acted as if he was not suspended at that time.

“He was behaving and he was performing his functions [na] parang hindi siya suspendido,” Marcos said.

Napeñas earlier said that after a meeting with Aquino, Purisima told him not to inform Roxas and Espina of the operation. Purisima also reportedly said that he will be the one to inform Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr. about Oplan Exodus.

PNoy's role

Marcos said the role of the President on the Mamasapano operation was still not clear and the latter should explain that.

“Dapat magpahayag na ang ating Pangulo kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari, sino ba talaga ang involved, ano ba ang naging sequence of events, ano yung naging timeline: saan nag-simula, saan nag-meeting, at kung ano talaga ang role ng ating Pangulo dito sa buong sitwasyon ng Mamasapano,” he said.

Senator Ralph Recto said the two hearings the Senate committee on public order conducted on the issue are not conclusive yet, adding he wants to know more about the supposed presence of US drone during the clash.

“Hindi natin matatapos sa isang hearing. Hindi pa natin nakakusap mga survivors, mga namatayan, baka meron sila pwede gusto sabihin para makuha ang complete picture. Hindi pa rin nasasagot ang drone ng US,” he said in an interview with reporters Wednesday.

Angara, said the US is obviously an interested party in the operation because of Marwan, who was on the list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most wanted terrorists. He also noted that “it was already established that they lent their chopper in the middle of fighting.”

Osmeña, meanwhile, thinks American involvement in the operation “is immaterial.” —KBK, GMA News

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