Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares said Aquino seemed to have forgotten he should be at fault for breaking the chain of command by allowing then-suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima to take charge of planning and implementing “Oplan Exodus,” the covert police operation to nab two high-profile terrorists.
The mission ended in the death of 44 SAF police officers and five civilians. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) claimed it had also lost 18 of its fighters in the clash.
“Not owning up to such violation and denying the reported participation of US forces in the Mamasapano operation amount to cover up and is compromising the Board of Inquiry (BOI) investigation,” Colmenares said.,
The effect of Aquino’s statement on the BOI’s probe likewise concerned United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim president and Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiangco, who said the President practically preempted the board in determining who should be held accountable for the tragic police operation.,
“Can we expect the BOI members to say otherwise when the President absolved himself of any blame, barely mentioned his BFF Purisima, and dumped the blame on Napenas?” he asked.
During Monday’s gathering of Christian leaders in Malacañang, Aquino enumerated the errors allegedly committed by Napeñas during the Mamasapano operation, which resulted to the high number of PNP casualties.
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, meanwhile, challenged Aquino to repeat his statements at the prayer gathering under oath so that he could be held accountable for them.
Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said Aquino cannot escape liability just because he blamed Napeñas for the police operation.
“[The President is] saying to us that Napeñas’ poor judgment and direction made Operation Exodus a ‘mission impossible.’ Yet at the end of the day, we have to return the question: who ‘greenlighted’ the mission? Who authorized the offensive? Napeñas cannot issue commands without delegated authority from his superiors. And Aquino as commander-in-chief is ultimately responsible,” Ridon explained.
Colmenares said that based on the transcript of the House’s lone hearing on the Mamasapano incident last Feb. 11, it was Aquino who had authorized Napeñas to go ahead with the operation as planned and inform the Armed Forces of the Philippines about it “time on target,” or when the SAF troopers were already on the ground.,
Colmenares also called on the House leadership to revive its probe on the police operation “to further expose the truth [that] President Aquino is again trying to obscure.” — DVM, GMA News
