PNoy violated chain of command in Mamasapano mission, says BOI 

The chain of command was violated when President Benigno Aquino III, then suspended PNP chief Director-General Alan Purisima and relieved Special Action Force director Director Getulio Napeñas planned and oversaw the execution of the Oplan Exodus, the mission to neutralize high-value targets in supposed Moro Islamic Liberation Front territory in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

This was the top finding of the Board of Inquiry that Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II formed to investigate the incident that led to the killing of international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan but also caused the deaths of 44 police commandos in the hands of the MILF and its breakaway group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters on Jan. 25.


The panel found that Aquino "bypassed the established PNP (Philippine National Police) Chain of Command" by dealing "directly" with sacked Special Action Force chief Dir. Getulio Napeñas Jr. instead of with the officer-in-charge Deputy Dir. Gen. Leonardo Espina.

"While the President has the prerogative to deal directly with any of his subordinates, the act of dealing with Napeñas instead of OIC-PNP Espina bypassed the established PNP Chain of Command," the BOI said.

 

"Under the Manual for PNP Fundamental Doctrine, the Chain of Command runs upward and downward. Such Manual requires the commander to discharge his responsibilities through a Chain of Command," it added.

 

Aquino, together with Napeñas and then-suspended Purisima "kept the information to themselves and deliberately failed to inform" Espina, as well as Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, it said.

Purisima has since resigned.

Malacañang deferred comment on the BOI's findings.

Undersecretary Abigail Valte said the President needed to read the full report.

 

'The President gave go-signal'

 

The BOI report said the President "gave the go-signal and allowed the execution of Oplan Exodus" after Napeñas presented the concept of operations to him.

 

Furthermore, it pointed out that Aquino "allowed the participation" of Purisima, who was serving a six-month preventive suspension.

 

During the presentation of the report on Friday, however, Roxas cleared the President of any liability in the incident, pinningthe blame on Purisima and Napeñas. 

 

Roxas said Aquino "was just doing his job" when he ordered the neutralization of Malaysian bomber Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Filipino bomb-maker Abdul Basit Usman.

 

He added that the President "recognized that Purisima was suspended," thus an order to relay the mission to Espina. "Pero hindi nasunod ang kaniyang utos," Roxas said.

 

Although he acknowledged that Purisima delegated Napeñas to lead the mission, Roxas pointed out that Purisima was the higher ranking officer between the two.

 

"Siya ay four-star (general), ang head ng PNP. Siya ang nangasiwa ng lahat ng operasyon simula't simula pa lang... Ang supervision, ang quality control, ang pagsisiguro na tama ang trabaho ni Napeñas ay nasa kay Dir. Gen. Purisima," he said.

Oplan Exodus