Operational lapses and leadership breakdown in the police force were
clear during the Mamasapano mission that left over 60 people, most of
them policemen, dead, Sen. Grace Poe said on Tuesday.
In concluding the Senate investigation, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Order, said the tragedy that marred Oplan Exodus was due to poor planning and lack of coordination among concerned groups.
"It appears that the operation was poorly planned from the start. To make matters worse, there was an undeniable breakdown of both leadership and command and control in the PNP (Philippine National Police),” Poe said.
She noted how details of the operation were “deliberately withheld” from PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.
Poe also pointed out that the PNP should have coordinated early on with the military on the conduct of the operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, which was aimed at arresting two high-profile terrorist targets holed up in the area.
“The PNP did not coordinate with nearby units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines until both the 84th and the 55th Special Action Companies were already heavily engaged in firefights with hostile forces. Yun din po malinaw,” she said.
AFP agrees on issue of leadership
Sought for comment, Malacañang didn't issue any.
"We prefer to reserve comment until we read full Senate report on their investigation," Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said in a text message.
The AFP leadership agreed with Poe. The military has repeatedly said lives could have been saved if the PNP coordinated their efforts to capture terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in alleged MILF territory.
Strengthen the PNP
Forty-four PNP-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) officers were killed in a firefight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), last January 25. On the other hand, 18 MILF fighters and three civilians were also killed.
The firefight occurred despite a peace deal signed by the MILF and the Philippine government last year.
The police commandos supposedly entered an MILF-controlled area to arrest Filipino bomb maker Abdulbasit Usman and the Malaysian terrorist Marwan, who was confirmed killed in the operation by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation after a DNA test.
MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal had earlier said MILF members only defended themselves during the incident. He added that government forces did not inform their group about the operation.
After five public hearings and five executive sessions on the incident, Poe also concluded that the PNP should be further strengthened.
“Hindi lang po paghahanap ng kasalanan kundi para rin po palakasin ang ating mga pulis na nakita naman natin na may kagitingin na pinakita dito at patuloy na nagpapakita ng kagitingan,” she said.
‘Negotiate in a position of strength’
Poe further said that lack of trust between the MILF and the security officials also became a problem during the Mamasapano mission.
“Sa kalahatan ng ating mga testimonya, nagtuturo sa kung ano ang pinakamalaking naging problema sa operasyon kay Marwan, ang malinaw po ay ang pagkawala rin ng tiwala natin sa isa’t isa,” she said.
While pointing out police lapses in the Mamasapano clash, Poe also said that lack of coordination with the MILF during the mission was “not an excuse for the commission of a crime.”
The senator further said that while she supports the peace process, the Philippine government must negotiate with the MILF “in a position of strength.”
In concluding the Senate investigation, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Order, said the tragedy that marred Oplan Exodus was due to poor planning and lack of coordination among concerned groups.
"It appears that the operation was poorly planned from the start. To make matters worse, there was an undeniable breakdown of both leadership and command and control in the PNP (Philippine National Police),” Poe said.
She noted how details of the operation were “deliberately withheld” from PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.
Poe also pointed out that the PNP should have coordinated early on with the military on the conduct of the operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, which was aimed at arresting two high-profile terrorist targets holed up in the area.
“The PNP did not coordinate with nearby units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines until both the 84th and the 55th Special Action Companies were already heavily engaged in firefights with hostile forces. Yun din po malinaw,” she said.
AFP agrees on issue of leadership
Sought for comment, Malacañang didn't issue any.
"We prefer to reserve comment until we read full Senate report on their investigation," Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said in a text message.
The AFP leadership agreed with Poe. The military has repeatedly said lives could have been saved if the PNP coordinated their efforts to capture terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in alleged MILF territory.
"Without naming who is to blame, her (Poe)
statement is true. Indeed, everything boils down to leadership. The
success or failure of a certain mission depends heavily on the skills
and competence of the leader," AFP Public Information Office chief Lt.
Col. Harold Cabunoc told GMA News Online.
"This
incident should make all of us in the AFP and PNP as better leaders
because we can draw valuable lessons here," he said in a text message.
Opposition Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said coordination was difficult since the chain of command was disregarded.
"[The] chain of command was violated from the very start. Coordination will really be difficult," Ejercito said in a text message, in apparent reference to the PNP officer-in-charge being left out of the loop.
Opposition Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said coordination was difficult since the chain of command was disregarded.
"[The] chain of command was violated from the very start. Coordination will really be difficult," Ejercito said in a text message, in apparent reference to the PNP officer-in-charge being left out of the loop.
Strengthen the PNP
Forty-four PNP-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) officers were killed in a firefight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), last January 25. On the other hand, 18 MILF fighters and three civilians were also killed.
The firefight occurred despite a peace deal signed by the MILF and the Philippine government last year.
The police commandos supposedly entered an MILF-controlled area to arrest Filipino bomb maker Abdulbasit Usman and the Malaysian terrorist Marwan, who was confirmed killed in the operation by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation after a DNA test.
MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal had earlier said MILF members only defended themselves during the incident. He added that government forces did not inform their group about the operation.
After five public hearings and five executive sessions on the incident, Poe also concluded that the PNP should be further strengthened.
“Hindi lang po paghahanap ng kasalanan kundi para rin po palakasin ang ating mga pulis na nakita naman natin na may kagitingin na pinakita dito at patuloy na nagpapakita ng kagitingan,” she said.
‘Negotiate in a position of strength’
Poe further said that lack of trust between the MILF and the security officials also became a problem during the Mamasapano mission.
“Sa kalahatan ng ating mga testimonya, nagtuturo sa kung ano ang pinakamalaking naging problema sa operasyon kay Marwan, ang malinaw po ay ang pagkawala rin ng tiwala natin sa isa’t isa,” she said.
While pointing out police lapses in the Mamasapano clash, Poe also said that lack of coordination with the MILF during the mission was “not an excuse for the commission of a crime.”
The senator further said that while she supports the peace process, the Philippine government must negotiate with the MILF “in a position of strength.”
“There can
be no peace without justice. A peace agreement that allows the slaughter
of our law enforcers because they did not coordinate their operation
with the other party is certainly flawed. It is not an excuse for the
commission of a crime,” Poe said. —with reports from Andrei Medina and Amita Legaspi/KBK/NB, GMA News
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