PNP chief Purisima resigns, denies giving orders in Mamasapano
President calls on nation to stay united
President Aquino last night said he has accepted the resignation of suspended Philippine National Police Director-General Alan Purisima “effective immediately.”
In a nationwide televised address, Aquino said it was difficult to let go of Purisima because of their long standing friendship. The police general was a member of Aquino’s security detail during the presidency of his mother, Corazon Aquino.
Purisima, who was serving a six-month preventive suspension over a supposed anomalous PNP contract with a courier service in 2011, was the focus of speculation that he headed Oplan Wolverine, the secret anti-terrorist mission where 44 police commandos were killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
He denied giving orders during the Jan. 25 operation, but said he gave the “intelligence package” for the SAF assault.
Aquino said he had many “questions that plaque my mind” after conducting his “own investigations” and interviewing some of those who took part in the mission.
“We saw that there were no fewer than three separate instances when the mission could have been aborted or postponed, or when the plan could have been dramatically changed,” he said, especially when there was no coordination for reinforcement, and the Armed Forces couldn’t help much for lack of time.
“It has clearly emerged that the situation our troops found on the ground was vastly different from what was expected under the plans.”
He said, and that the commander of the operation, who had long been assigned to Mindanao, “should have been aware of this”.
Aquino had own questions: “How and why did it happen that there was no coordination? Why did the mission continue, when it had deviated so far from the original plan, and our troops were already in grave danger?”
He said the former SAF Commander has to answer this in the official inquiry ahead.
Aquino was previously criticized for vacillating in his first televised address after the clash when he was asked who gave the green light for the mission, and who was in charge.
Last night, he said “As President and Commander-in-Chief, I am fully responsible for any result—any triumph, any suffering, and any tragedy—that may result from our desire for lasting peace and security.”
Aquino said the government will continue to hunt down Basit Usman, the other terrorist who was supposed to be served a warrant by the SAF in the Mamasapano operation.
He again expressed his condolences to the families of the slain troopers, saying there was nothing he could say to ease the pain except that the nation was behind them.
“I’ll say to you what the Filipino people told us when we were orphaned: You are not alone,” Aquino said.
He urged the nation to stay united in order to honor the sacrifice of the slain police commandos, and not to let forces drive a wedge between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP.
FATHER OF THE NATION
“I am the father of the nation and 44 of my sons were killed. They will never return. The tragedy happened during my watch and I’ll carry this burden until my last day,” Aquino said.
“They are my responsibility, including all the men and women of SAF who took part in the operations, even those who risked their lives in extracting them,” the President said in Filipino.
Twelve 12 others were wounded during the firefight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and its breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). The MILF said 17 of their fighters died in the clash.
SAF troopers sneaked into an MILF-controlled area in Mamasapano town and killed Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir—also known as “Commander Marwan,” whose death was confirmed by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In an earlier televised speech, Aquino admitted knowing about the Mamasapano operation, but did not say who ultimately gave the go signal to the SAF.
A Board of Inquiry was formed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to look into possible operational lapses in the botched operation. The MILF is also investigating the incident.
WAITING FOR PURISIMA
The PNP Board of Inquiry has interviewed 307 of the 420 witnesses in the firefight.
“We are waiting for him (Purisima). He promised to give his written statement any time soon,” Director Benjamin Magalong told reporters on Thursday.
Magalong, the board chairman, said he was in constant communication with Purisima.
Sacked SAF commander Director Napeñas, in earlier statements said Purisima was giving him instructions up to the time the mission was underway in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province.
Napeñas said he reported to Purisima and President Aquino about the top secret operation.
The operation was planned before Purisima’s six-month suspension last December.
Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, the PNP officer in charge, and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas only learned of the operation after it was already underway.
Following the incident, the Senate suspended its deliberations on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which seeks to embody the peace deal signed by the Philippine government and the MILF last year.
The Department of Justice, upon Aquino’s orders, is also looking into the possibility of filing charges against those responsible for the deadly encounter.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has created a five-man panel to investigate the incident.
The Special Investigation Team is composed of members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the National Prosecution Service (NPS).
The team shall conduct “a thorough, in-depth and comprehensive investigation and case build-up,” the order stated.