Exclusive: Purisima did not give go signal for Mamasapano operation – Napeñas

Suspended Philippine National Police Chief director general Alan Purisima did not give the  go signal for Operation Wolverine launched on January 24, which ended in the death of 44 police commandos, GMA News' “24 Oras” newscast reported on Tuesday.

 

In an exclusive interview with GMA News' Jiggy Manicad, sacked PNP Special Action Force head P/Dir. Getulio Napeñas Jr., said Purisima only gave them actionable intelligence on their targets' location.

 

Napeñas said high ranking officials like him did not plan the mission.

 

“Ang nagplano niyan mismo 'yung mga operators or operating personel sila ang gumawa ng plano under supervision ng isang senior officer then pinresent, dinileberate namin ng pagkatagal tagal,” he continued.

 

Napeñas said he and the SAF ground commanders  decided to pursue the operation to neutralize their targets.

 

“Hindi rin kami kinoerce na immediately gawin niyo ito, hindi ganun. But out of commitment, out of dedication na itong tao na ito ang target (international terrorists) ginawa namin ang plan,” he said.

 

Napeñas declined to directly respond to Manicad's query on whether President Benigno Aquino III had a hand in the operation.

 

“Hindi ko po maaring sagutin yan. Malalaman na lang yan sa Board of Inquiry kung mayroon man o wala,” he said.

 

But he replied that the elements of PNP-SAF pursued the high risk operation because it was their job. 

 

“Kasi kami, yung tactical lang kami. We do not [deal] with politics. 'Yun na lang na ginawa namin 'yung trabaho namin to go after 'yung terorrist na ito dahil one of the primary mission ng PNP Special Action Force is counter terrorism,” he said.

 

Aquino earlier said in a public televised statement that he knew of the operation but could not recall anyone asking him if the SAF's forces could go ahead with it.

 

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and acting PNP chief Police Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina also said earlier that they were only informed of the operation after the fact.  — Andrei Medina/ELR, GMA News