‘Noy got updates on SAF clash’

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino was duly informed about developments on the ground after the covert operation to arrest terrorist bomber Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, in Mama-sapano, Maguindanao went awry last Jan. 25, sources privy to the investigation revealed yesterday.

The STAR also obtained documents showing that Aquino had been updated on the situation on the ground while Special Action Force commander Director Getulio Napeñas pleaded for reinforcements.

These facts are contained in a report police investigators had submitted to the Senate.

They disproved the roundabout answers of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II during a Senate hearing to questions of senators on who had informed Aquino about developments in Mamasapano last Jan. 25.

Sources said Roxas relayed the information to Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Deputy Director-General Leonardo Espina at about 10:27 a.m. that Aquino was inquiring about the developments.

“P-Noy (has been) getting other reports that are conflicting with each other,” Roxas was quoted as telling Espina.

Roxas said Aquino had inquired about unverified reports on the actual number of troop deployment and “hostile” groups.

Documents showed that Napeñas also directly coordinated with and reported to then suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima at the time the SAF commandos were already deployed to arrest Marwan.

Napeñas reported to Espina that his men jumped off at 2:30 a.m. and that the “troops are underway” to get Marwan and Abdul Basit Usman, and developments will be reported to Espina as soon as possible.

The documents tallied with the claim of Napeñas that he had informed Army 6th Infantry Division commander Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan about the operations, “time on target” early morning of Jan. 25, supposedly in compliance with secrecy measures provided in Operation Plan: Exodus.

P-Noy’s guidance

Roxas also advised Napeñas that Aquino already “gave guidance” to Armed Force Western Command on how to help the police commandos.

The message was relayed to Napeñas at about 7:12 p.m., apparently just around the time the military fired white phosphorous smokescreen at the area of operation.

“Keep calm and keep your head,” Roxas was quoted as telling Napeñas. “We will not abandon our troops. P-Noy gave guidance to AFP Westmincom.”

Testimonies of survivors showed that the members of the 84th Seaborne Company led by Supt. Raymond Train and Police Officer 2 Christopher Lalan, the lone survivor from the 55th Special Action Company (SAC), were located and rescued by a special team before midnight of the same day.

Last week, Roxas and Gazmin evaded answering the questions of Sens. Nancy Binay and Loren Legarda, who could not believe that Aquino was not tipped off about the Mamasapano clash when they were all huddled in Zamboanga City on that fateful day.

In his exchange of communication with Espina, Roxas said Aquino also asked about conflicting reports on the number of police commandos involved and the estimated number of enemies. Aquino also reportedly asked why the SAF had retreated in an 8:1 ratio.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. was mum on the issue during last Thursday’s Senate public hearing, while Westmincom chief Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero said he briefed the President at about 5 p.m.

Purisima asked clearance from Senate committee on public order chairman Grace Poe to seek clearance from Aquino before he can divulge any information.

The denials of the Cabinet secretaries contradicted Aquino’s statement before SAF commandos at Camp Bagong Diwa last Jan. 31 that he was informed early in the day about the Mamamsapano shootout.

During the hearing, Roxas said he had received a text message at around 8 a.m. that SAF commandos were engaged in a skirmish with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but that he thought the operations were part of “ordinary course of business.”

“I did not know that there was a Special Action Force operation. When we got to Zamboanga I asked Gen. (Edgardo) Ingking, the director for integrated police operations, what happened,” he said. “He said it was a SAF operation.”

Gazmin said he saw no reason to inform Aquino because he felt no sense of urgency at the time he received the report.

“First of all it involved the SAF and MILF in Maguindanao,” he said.

“To me there was no sense of urgency, everyday an encounter is reported, until casualties have mounted, but earlier I did not inform the President because it is a PNP operation.”

‘Aquino not liable for slaughter of 44’

Speaking to reporters, Deputy Speaker Giorgidi Aggabao said President Aquino cannot be held liable for the slaughter of 44 police commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.

“Blame and accountability should not be laid on the doorstep of the President,” he said. “The policy to go after Malaysian terrorist Marwan was correct. If that was a wrong policy, then the President could be blamed.”

Aggabao said responsibility for “operational lapses” must not be blamed on Aquino.

“If (resigned PNP chief Alan) Purisima will be shown as the one in charge of the Mamasapano operation, then he should get the ax,” he said.

“He should be administratively charged and dismissed from the service. I don’t know if he could be held criminally liable for the death of the 44 policemen.”

However, Aggabao said Aquino was “too slow” in reacting to what was going on in Mamasapano.

“If it is true that he learned of the incident as early as 6 a.m. of Jan. 25 and he ordered a rescue late afternoon that day, his reaction and response was slow and late,” he said.– With Jess Diaz, Aurea Calica