SAF commandos to PNoy: Where were the reinforcements?

By AMANDA FERNANDEZ, GMA News

Published March 4, 2015 4:03pm

(Updated 5:50 p.m.) Members of the PNP-Special Action Force, including survivors of the tragic Mamasapano mission, pressed President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday why reinforcements failed to arrive in time to save beleaguered police commandos, most of whom died virtually defenseless in a cornfield on Jan. 25.

This was according to newly installed PNP-SAF acting director Chief Supt. Moro Virgilio Lazo, who added that some troopers felt they were left on their own after they were ordered to proceed with the mission to capture three terrorists in an alleged Moro Islamic Liberation Front territory .

"Syempre may questions rin sila doon.... Bakit hindi dumating ang artillery support, bakit hindi mechanized?" Lazo told reporters.

Aquino in February also addressed the PNP-SAF and encouraged them to speak up as regards the Mamasapano incident. At the time, the troopers chose to keep quiet.

"It's like this e, kapag ikaw ang boss ko, tapos sasabihan mong lumusob ka, ako bahala sa'yo, as SAF, lulusob ako. I will not question you anymore, I will depend on you, and I will believe in you na ikaw makipag-coordinate sa lahat ng dapat i-coordinate," Lazo said after the meeting on Wednesday.

"Look at the exchanges, somebody was made to understand na okay na (it was coordinated), pero wala. Something happened between [the] chain of command, sa kanila ah," Lazo said.

After the three-hour meeting with the SAF, Aquino proceeded to oversee the turnover ceremonies between erstwhile PNP-SAF officer-in-charge Chief Supt. Noli Taliño and the new director Lazo.

Despite a scheduled speech, Aquino no longer addressed the troopers during the ceremonies.

Honest, very brotherly

PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director-General Espina said some troopers during the three-hour conversation with the President asked about the operational tactics of the mission.

"Actually the response of the SAF was very positive. The atmosphere was cordial and very truthful, honest, very brotherly," Espina said.

However, a highly-placed source, who was also present during the dialogue between the troopers and the President, said the atmosphere was somber as questions on the incident were left unanswered.

The source said some of the troopers were even seen crying as they recalled the incident, and how helpless they were then.

"Naalala na naman nila 'yung nangyari sa kanila, lalo na 'yung mga wounded, oo, naiyak 'yung iba," the source said.

Move forward

According to Lazo, Aquino explained to the troopers his knowledge on the operation but also insisted that they wait for the results of the PNP Board of Inquiry's investigation into the incident.

Lazo added that officials also urged the troopers to move forward and continue serving the public as the "tagapagligtas."

"And sinasabi nga natin, we have to move forward. BOI is one (way for us to move on). BOI ay ang magiging susi," Lazo said.

In a hearing of the Senate inquiry on the Mamasapano clash, it was established that then- suspended PNP chief Director-General Alan Purisima told Aquino in a text message on the morning of Jan. 25 that the commandos in Mamasapano already had artillery and mechanized support from the military.

Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, the commander of the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command, however, said that what he told Purisima via text message at the time was that the artillery and mechanized support were already available but have yet to be deployed.

The AFP has maintained that it couldn't immediately assist the beleaguered commandos who found themselves in firefights with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and its splinter group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. It pointed to inadequate coordination from the PNP-SAF.

Forty-four elite policemen died during the clash. The MILF, on the other hand, claimed that they lost 18 combatants. Five civilians were also reported to have died in the clashes.

The troopers were then on a mission to arrest suspected Malaysian terrorist Zulkifi bin Hir alias Marwan of Jemaah Islamiyah and Filipino bomb maker and Abu Sayyaf member Basit Usman.

Review of Mamasapano mission

In its official statement about Aquino's meeting with SAF troopers, Malacañang did not mention anything about the SAF troopers' queries about reinforcement during the Mamasapano operation.

Instead, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the meeting focused on a review of the Mamasapano mission.

"This review is essential in identifying points for improvement in the conduct of similar operations,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon.

The Palace official added that the President also "pledged support for the acquisition of needed equipment and resources” to strengthen the SAF during the meeting.—with a report from Andreo Calonzo/NB/JST/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: mamasapanoclash, benignoaquinoiii, specialactionforce, pnpsaf