Aquino broke chain of command – BOI, But Roxas clears PNoy, blames Purisima for death of SAF44

 

President Aquino broke the Philippine National Police (PNP) chain of command when he directly dealt with Director Getulio Napeñas, then commander of the police Special Action Force (SAF), in connection with “Oplan Exodus,” the operation to neutralize suspected international terrorists Zhulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, Ahmad Akmad Batabol Usman, and Armin Baco alias Jihad, the PNP Board of Inquiry (BOI) said in its report.

The BOI report stated that while the President has the prerogative to deal directly with Napeñas instead of PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, such act bypassed the established PNP chain of command.

 by Czarina Nicole O. Ong | Manila Bulletin

WHO’S TO BLAME? – Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas holds a copy of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Board of Inquiry (BOI) Mamasapano Report as he fields questions from the media at Camp Crame yesterday. Looking on is PNP OIC Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina. (Michael Varcas)

But resigned PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima, in his position paper submitted to the Senate, said the chain of command principle is a military concept that does not strictly apply to the PNP, a civilian organization.

Instead, what applies to the PNP are the principles of supervision, direction, control, and delegation of powers as understood in the context of civil service laws, rules, and regulations as well as under administrative law, Purisima said in a 13-page position paper he submitted to the Senate Public Order Committee chaired by Sen. Grace Poe.

The BOI report on the Mamasapano tragedy, which was submitted last Thursday to Espina, also stated that it was President Aquino who “gave the go-signal and allowed the execution of Oplan Exodus after the Concept of Operations (Conops) was presented to him by Napeñas.” The report also concluded that President Aquino “allowed the participation of suspended PNP chief Purisima in the planning and execution of Oplan Exodus despite the suspension order of the Ombudsman.”

ROXAS CLEARS AQUINO

But Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas was quick to clear President Aquino, saying the Chief Executive had no liability.

“The President took steps to remedy the situation,” said Roxas, citing the same BOI report submitted to him.

“He correctly authorized that Marwan is a target. There is no liability to that. In fact, pag hindi niya ginawa yan may pananagutan ang Pangulo kasi yan ang kanyang tungkulin (if he did not do it then he will be answerable for his inaction as that is his job),” Roxas stressed.

Roxas instead blamed Purisima for the failed operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

The DILG chief said that even though the President talked to Purisima, he still recognized his suspension and that is why he directed the suspended PNP chief to tell Espina about the operation, which the police official chose not to do.

The BOI report only confirmed earlier suspicions that Purisima is to blame for the deaths of the 44 SAF commandos, Roxas said.

“Nakumpirma ang aking pagiisip na ang may pangunahing  pananagutan dito sa pagkamatay ng 44 SAF troopers ay walang iba kundi ang suspendidong Director General Alan Purisima. (It confirmed my thoughts that the primary person who is responsible for the deaths of the 44 SAF troopers is none other than Purisima),” said Roxas.

PURISIMA BLAMED

In a press conference at Camp Crame yesterday, Roxas said the resigned PNP chief is responsible for the failed operation from the very beginning.

And while he did delegate it to Napeñas, who was relieved after the Mamasapano carnage, it was still Purisima’s job to ensure its success and see through its supervision and quality control.

But when he was suspended, Purisima lost authority over the operation. What he failed to do next was also critical in the operation’s success, which was to pass on the chain of command to Espina, the PNP officer-in-charge.

“Not only did he fail to pass it on, but he even told Director Napeñas to keep it a secret from Espina and me,” lamented Roxas.

He added that Purisima failed to follow the order of President Aquino for him to coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) twice, the first time was even before his suspension.

After President Aquino instructed Purisima and Napeñas to coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Purisima told Napeñas, “Ako na ang bahala kay Catapang [I will handle (AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio) Catapang].”

Under the PNP Manual Doctrine, BOI said, that PNP members should have “word of honor,” meaning their word is their bond. But the fact that Purisima failed to coordinate with the AFP meant that he broke his word.

Likewise, the BOI said, Purisima violated the preventive suspension order issued by the Ombudsman when he participated in the planning and execution of Oplan Exodus. The resigned PNP chief also provided inaccurate information to the President on the actual situation on the ground, the BOI report stated.

Roxas said that the SAF troopers were assured that they have a “resbak” in the form of AFP canon and artillery and that is why they braved the “suicide mission” in the first place.

But Roxas said the “resbak” failed to arrive because of lack of coordination and it was also kept a secret from the AFP even though the President ordered coordination.

NAPEÑAS DEFIED PRESIDENT

On the part of Napeñas, the BOI said that he defied the President’s directive to coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) prior to the operation by insisting on his Time-on-Target (TOT) coordination concept. The TOT, it said, does not conform with the established and acceptable operational concepts and protocols of the PNP.

Napeñas also violated the chain of command when he followed the instructions of Purisima despite his knowledge that he was preventively suspended by the Ombudsman. He was also held responsible for his failure to “effectively supervise, control, and direct personnel which resulted in heavy casualties.”

NO KID GLOVES

As this developed, Malacañang said Purisima will not be treated with kid gloves after a police inquiry report supposedly found him liable for the bungled police mission in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte made clear that any case against erring individuals would be based on evidence, as she tried to allay speculations Purisima may get off the hook due to his friendship with President Aquino.

“The President has always been clear that we will follow wherever the evidence goes. And so far, we don’t see sparing anyone just because some people say so,” Valte told reporters in the Palace.

“Again, it really should be based on evidence, which is why, in the first place, the BOI was called or convened,” she added.

DFA CLEARS US

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that although the BOI report specifically mentioned the involvement of American forces in the botched operation, it maintains that there was no violation of cooperation agreement between the Philippines and the United States.

“The BOI report says US involvement (in the Mamasapano operation) is limited to intelligence sharing and evaluation, not in actual combat operation,” DFA Spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement issued on Friday.

Part of this intelligence sharing is providing real time information, Jose pointed out.

“This is also consistent with the earlier DFA statement that planning and execution of the Mamasapano operation were 100 percent Filipino,” he further said. (With reports from Mario B. Casayuran, Genalyn D. Kabiling, and Roy C. Mabasa)