MAMASAPANO | Mar absolves PNoy, blames Purisima; resigned PNP chief says case shouldn't be prejudged

File photos of resigned PNP chief Alan Purisima, DILG chief Mar Roxas, and President Benigno Aquino III 

InterAksyon

MANILA, Philippines - The camp of resigned Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima on Friday cautioned Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel Roxas II against prejudging the Mamasapano case after the PNP Board Inquiry (BOI) came out with its findings on the January 25 incident in Maguindanao that resulted in the death of 67 people including 44 elite troopers of the Special Action Force.

"It appears that the Secretary is prejudging the case and playing to certain sectors of the public. I would caution against entertaining conclusions at this stage," said Kristoffer Purisima, lawyer of the resigned PNP chief.

"The mandate of the BOI was fact-finding in nature. That is different from finding fault or liability. There is a separate process for that. We shall respond to allegations at the proper time and in the proper forum," added Purisima's lawyer.

After reading the BOI report on Friday, Roxas absolved President Benigno Aquino III and put the blame on Purisima.

"Matapos kong mabasa ang formal report ay confirmed sa aking pag-iisip na ang may pangunahing pananagutan dito sa pagkamatay ng 44 ay walang iba kundi ang suspendidong Director Gen. Alan Purisima," said the DILG chief.

[After reading the formal report I confirmed in my mind that the one that has the primary responsibility on the death of the 44 is no other than the suspended Director General Alan Purisima.]
Roxas said that based on the BOI report, "it is clear that Purisima led from the start Operation Exodus," which was launched to neutralize two high-value targets Zhulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan” and Basit Usman.

He said that after Purisima was suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman, the latter "should have relinquished the command over the operation to PNP Officer-in-charge Deputy Dir. Gen. Leonardo Espina."

“Hindi lang na hindi niya ipinasa, sinabihan pa niya si Napeñas na ilihim ito, itago ito, huwag itong sabihin kay OIC Espina at sa akin,” Roxas said.

[It was not only that he did not relinquish, he even told (sacked SAF chief Getulio) Napeñas to make it a secret, to hide it, not to tell it to me and OIC Espina.]
Also, Roxas said Purisima "failed to follow President Aquino’s orders to coordinate the operation with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which would have allowed the AFP to respond on time."

“Hindi nakakilos in a timely manner ang AFP because they didn’t know, at 'yong inaasahang responde, ‘resbak’ ay hindi nakarating hanggang naubos na ang 55th SAF sa kanilang kinalalagyan,” Roxas said.

He, however, said that the President "had no accountability regarding the Mamasapano incident."

Acoording to the DILG chief, "the President twice ordered Purisima to coordinate the operation with the AFP, and when he was already suspended, to turn over the chain of command to Espina but the President’s orders were not followed."