Anti-crime group: Atimonan operation did not have our blessings

(Updated 4:15 p.m.) The operation that led to a deadly encounter that killed 13 men in Atimonan town in Quezon province last Jan. 6 was processed but not cleared by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the agency said on Friday. PAOCC deputy executive director and spokesman Senior Superintendent Rainier Idio and executive director Chief Supt. Reginald Villasanta, in separate interviews, said the PAOCC received a "project proposal" on the operation but did not issue any mission order for it. On Friday, a report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer cited sources who said the operation was approved by the PAOCC headed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. The report said Ochoa denied authorizing the operation code-named “Coplan Armado,” supposedly targeted Victor “Vic” Siman, operator of the numbers racket “jueteng.” Siman was among those killed. The PDI report also quoted a PAOCC official who said the Calabarzon police's intelligence division informed the commission about the surveillance on Siman, and that Superintendent Hansel Marantan - who was wounded in Sunday's incident - submitted to the PAOCC a case operation plan (coplan) on the matter. However, Idio said in an interview over radio dzBB on Friday, "Hindi yan naaprubahan ... (At) dahil hindi inaprubahan, wala kaming connection." In an interview with GMA News TV's News To Go, Villasanta said: “Hindi po aprubado ng PAOCC. Wala po kaming involvement dun sa operation na nangyari sa Quezon (province).” At least 13 men aboard two sport-utility vehicles were killed in what police initially claimed was a checkpoint operation. Asked if Siman or any of the fatalities was included in the order of battle or being investigated by PAOCC, Villasanta replied in the negative. “Wala po sa PAOCC, sa amin wala kaming information about dun sa mga namatay,” he said. An investigation is being conducted into whether the incident was a legitimate operation or a summary execution, after it was learned the fatalities included lawmen and an environmentalist. Idio said the PAOCC never issued a mission order for the Atimonan incident. "Wala kaming in-issue na mission order sa nag-operate sa Atimonan incident. Sa mission order yan ay isang order na nilagdaan at binigay ng isang direct supervisor sa kanyang tauhan. So kunwari kung ang operation city level, ang mag-issue city director. Pag provincial ang level, provincial director. Pag regional ang level, regional director. Ang PAOCC, wala kaming ini-issue na mission order or letter order sa mga nag-operate sa Atimonan," he said. While he acknowledged such a coplan was submitted to the PAOCC for "consideration and approval," it was not approved by the body. "Kaya sinasabi namin wala kaming connection diyan kasi walang briefing o coordinating meeting before operation," he added. Villasanta said the proposal was submitted in November and was disapproved due to lack of resources. “At that time po kasi nung November marami kaming trabaho at sa gobyerno po limited ang ating resources (so) nagdecide kami na mag-focus sa ibang concerns, sa ibang trabaho,” he said in an interview with Kara David. He clarified that failure to get PAOCC's permission does not mean the operation is already illegitimate. “Wala pong basbas ng PAOCC pero hindi naman ibig sabihin na pag walang basbas ng PAOCC ay hindi na legitimate kasi po ang PNP naman on their own they can launch their own operations against lawless elements,” Villasanta said. Idio said law enforcement agencies can still go on with the operation even without the PAOCC's blessings as fighting organized crime is within their mandate. He said the PAOCC's approval would only mean added resources for the operating units. - with Amita Legaspi and Patricia Denise Chiu/VVP/RSJ, GMA News