Napeñas submits voluminous documents to Ombudsman

Sacked PNP Special Action Force commander Director Getulio Napeñas has submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman fact-finding body numerous files related to the controversial Oplan Exodus which led to the deaths of over 60 people. 

 

"May dinala si General Napeñas na napakaraming dokumento tulad ng copy ng Oplan Exodus. Sinubmit niya, cinertify niya, pinirmahan niya bawat page, tsaka yung PowerPoint presentations. About 100 pages yung pinipirmahan niya," Napeñas' lawyer Vitialiano Aguirre told reporters Wednesday after Napeñas' attendance in the clarificatory hearing called by the Ombudsman. 

 

Aguirre also said Napeñas spent at least three hours disputing the PNP Board of Inquiry's report on the January 25 operation. 

 

"Mostly nag focus sa 22 conclusions ng BOI. Sapagkat doon pinuna namin na gawa ng kakulangan sa oras at kakulangan ng facts na hindi na interview ng BOI yung mga kay personalities tulad ni Presidente, ni General (Alan) Purisima, General (Gregorio) Catapang, (Rustico) Guerrero, and (Edmundo) Pangilinan and other military officers kaya nagkaroon kami ng exception dun. We know that [the] BOI [report] suffers from some handicaps," Aguirre said. 

 

"It took three hours na nag-explain siya, dun lamang sa findings, sa clarificatory questions na tinanong," he added. 

 

Among the BOI conclusions that Napeñas did not agree with was the lack of an abort plan and the SAF's alleged I'll preparedness, Aguirre said. 

 

"Isa sa mga kinlarify ng Ombudsman is insufficient preparation done. Pinaliwanag niya at naliwanagan ang Office of the Ombudsman na lahat ng preparation, including simulation exercises, ginawa ng SAF para maging matagumpay ang operasyon ng Oplan Exodus," he said. 

 

"Pinabulaanan din ni General Napeñas yung sinasabi sa BOI report na wala daw abort criteria, hindi po totoo yun, doon mismo sa Oplan Exodus ay merong abort criteria, nakalagay po dun, di namin malaman kung bakit hindi nakita ng BOI," Aguirre added. 

Defective?

 

The Philippine National Police BOI had earlier concluded that the SAF operation to arrest the terrorists was "defective from the very beginning," which resulted to the deaths of the 44 police officers, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters and five civilians.

 

It also blamed Napeñas' for his supposed lack of coordination and preparation. 

 

But Aguirre said Napeñas showed the Ombudsman panel enough evidence to convince them of the contrary. 

 

"Siguro nalaman din nila na we have some objections, we have some reservations because of the sometimes erroneous conclusions of the BOI," he said. 

 

Napeñas also contested the BOI finding that the mission was not properly planned. 

 

"Sinabi rin na hindi familiar sa terrain ang SAF, kaya one of the reasons their operation was bungled. Pero di po totoo ito kasi nakita naman ninyo dun sa video, sa katotohanan nakunan yung anong klase ng terrain, yung field, going to the hut of Marwan. Sabi namin dito parang yung ibang conclusions ay erroneous sapagkat kulang naman ang factual bases," he said. 

 

Contrary to what Aguirre said earlier in the day, Napeñas also showed the fact finding committee a video taken by a civilian informant, which shows Marwan, Usman, and a third terrorist, Amin Baco, meeting in Marwan's hut in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. He released the video to dispute the BOI report saying the Mamasapano operation was poorly planned.

 

"Pinakita niya, pinakita lamang ngunit wala siyang sinubmit [na video.] Yung mga fields, mga ilog na tatawiran. Nakita dun yung tatlong high value targets. Nandun sila sa video. Meaning to say ginawa lahat ng SAF ang kanilang assignment para maging matagumpay itong mission na ito," Aguirre said. 

 

Still, despite disagreeing with the BOI report, Aguirre said his client understands the difficulty the BOI faced in investigating the clash. 

 

"Naintindihan naman namin ang BOI sapagkat di nila makukuha siguro ang ganito ka komplikadong imbestigasyon sa loob ng 30 days lang na binigay sa kanila," he said. — RSJ, GMA News