Purisima had no authority over Mamasapano ops —BOI

By AMANDA FERNANDEZ, GMA News

Published March 12, 2015 7:13pm

Resigned Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima should have had no role in the Mamasapano operation last January 25 as he was suspended at the time, a portion of the Board of Inquiry report showed.

Some parts of the report were seen by members of the media as it was being signed by the Board's members, headed by its chairman Director Benjamin Magalong, on Thursday.

The portion said that while PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina was never consulted for the approval nor have any knowledge of the operation, Purisima "had knowledge of, and participation in Oplan Exodus."

"Even if the acts of PDG Purisima can be constructed as giving his express or implied approval to Oplan Exodus, he had no authority to give such approval by reason of his suspension," it added.

Magalong told reporters that he believed that the public should be informed of the BOI's findings.

He, however, said that the release of the BOI report will have to be approved by Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

"The creation of the BOI was ordered by Roxas, bilang paggalang sa bumuo sa'min, ipagpapaalam muna sa kanya," he said.

The report was submitted to Espina on Thursday.

Magalong said aside from the copy of Espina, they have also prepared four other sets to be given to Roxas and the government agencies investigating the clash, including the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Department of Justice.

The families of the slain SAF commandos will also be given copies once Roxas will give the go-signal, Magalong said.

Suspended officer's orders

In a position paper submitted to the Senate, Purisima said that relieved PNP Special Action Force chief Director Getulio Napeñas should have known that “he cannot and should not follow orders from anyone who is not in his command line, such as from a suspended police officer."

It was Napeñas who directly supervised the mission.

Purisima said that he did not commit usurpation of authority when he provided “advice, inputs and reminders” during the mission where 44 police commandos died.

“At no time did I usurp any official authority or function while under preventive suspension. I never misrepresented or falsely represented myself to be chief [of the] PNP,” Purisima said in his position paper.

“I categorically deny giving any orders to any PNP official or personnel regarding Operation Exodus during my preventive suspension. I did not even know when the PNP SAF would launch Operation Exodus,” he added. —NB, GMA News

Tags: mamasapanoclash, boardofinquiry