PNoy not bothered by Espina’s absence at planning of Mamasapano ops

(Updated 4:19 p.m.) President Benigno Aquino III did not mind that PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina was left out of the loop in the planning for the January 29 Mamasapano operation, despite his strict order to ensure proper coordination for the operation.

This was revealed at the continuation of the Senate probe on the incident on Thursday. The operation left 44 policemen belonging to the PNP’s elite unit, Special Action Force (SAF), dead following an encounter with Moro fighters.

Upon questioning by Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., relieved SAF chief Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. admitted that Aquino neither looked for nor required the presence of Espina during their briefing at the Bahay Pangarap in Malacañang on January 9.

Napeñas had earlier recounted that on January 9, he, suspended PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima and SAF Intelligence Group Director Senior Superintendent Fernando Mendez had a meeting with Aquino at the Bahay Pangarap regarding the preparations for the Mamasapano operation dubbed “Oplan Wolverine.”

Marcos then asked Purisima whether Aquino looked for Espina during the briefing, to which Purisima replied, “No, your honor.”

“So malinaw na he was not surprised that Espina was not in the meeting at hindi man lang niya hinanap,” Marcos said, referring to Aquino.

Coordination

Aquino had earlier said that he instructed Napeñas to do the necessary coordination regarding the Mamasapano incident.

Napeñas, however, pointed out in earlier hearings that Purisima told him not to inform Espina and Roxas of the operation until the SAF troops are already in the target area.

Napeñas said he opted to follow Purisima’s advice, knowing the closeness of the latter with the President.

Meanwhile, Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. and Espina, during the hearing, cannot provide instant answer on when Aquino was first informed about the encounter.

“Did you inform the President while the firefight is going on?” Marcos asked Catapang.

“No, your honor. But in the afternoon it became very clear that we suffered casualty. Gen. Guerrero informed that there was already casualties in the field,” Catapang said.

Vague info

AFP Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. General Rustico Guerrero said at around 5 p.m. on January 25, he briefed Aquino about the situation in Mamasapano, but was quick to add that the information that he had been receiving from the PNP that time was “very vague.”   

Guerrero said that during the briefing with Aquino, the possibility of reinforcing the SAF troopers was discussed.

“We were discussing the possibility of reinforceing them. The guidance (from Aquino) was to reinforce without endangering the reinforcement troops,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero at Wednesday’s hearing at the House of Representatives said he relayed this same guidance from Aquino to Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander Major General Edmundo Pangilinan through a text message.

“No instruction to extricate the troops? No instruction to fire?” Marcos asked Guerrero.

“The guidance given was to ensure that there is no friendly fire,” Guerrero replied.

Marcos, however, pointed out that at 4 p.m., even before the briefing that Guerrero had with Aquino, the 44 SAF commandos were all dead.

“It took eleven hours before the firefight was stopped. In fact by 4 p.m. lahat nung SAF casualties namatay na,” Marcos said.

Espina for his part said he was more preoccupied with asking the military for reinforcement than on informing Aquino about the incident, specifically about the reported death of Malaysian terrorist Julkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, the target of the police operation.

“Ang naging instinct ko noon is tumawag kay Guerrero to ask for reinforcement, not to inform the President about Marwan’s death or about the ongoing encounter,” Espina said.

“So in this hearing today, we cannot be told when the President was informed of the incident,” Marcos said. —KG/KBK, GMA News