Rody on Mamasapano: Where were the air assets?

MANILA, Philippines - Five days before the second anniversary of the Mamasapano incident that cost the lives of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) members, President Duterte asked anew yesterday why the military failed to provide air support to the troopers.

“I only have one question for all, I’ m not trying to revive the question. What’s bugging me is that I was a mayor and I had police (under my watch)… Why did they not call in the air assets?  Who earned money there?” Duterte said in a speech before 75 recently promoted police generals and their families who witnessed their oath-taking ceremonies in Malacañang.

Incidentally, Philippine National Police (PNP) Director Fernando Mendez Jr., the intelligence official who prepared Oplan Exodus, was among the officers who took the oath before the President.

Mendez is now holding the number four post at the PNP, being the acting chief of the directorial staff.

Whoever planned the operation was “bright,” Duterte said, but he still could not fathom why the military was prevented from sending reinforcements to the SAF troopers.

He asked further why those in power did not call out to the Tactical Operations Group of the Philippine Air Force at the height of the call of then SAF commander Director Getulio Napeñas for the Armed Forces leaders to send in reinforcements.

Duterte said he wanted to know from the police officers involved in the operation the real story even as the incident has been explained and investigated many times in the past.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had said during a Senate hearing that Napeñas was “detached from the reality of the SAF operation” and “unaware of the magnitude of the SAF casualties” when the Mamasapano incident occurred on Jan. 25 of last year.

“I’ll make way…I’d like to talk to officers. I’m not trying to scare anybody,” the President said, adding “I’m not trying to go into politics.”