In the end, it’s about President Benigno Aquino III’s accountability.
That was the simple and obvious summary of the Senate report on the Mamasapano massacre—not misencounter as the Senate joint committee investigating the incident emphasized—and it is obviously a lot more detailed and fleshed out than the Board of Inquiry report of the Philippine National Police.
In stating the obvious, Sen. Grace Poe, who spearheaded the committee hearings, said while the President received the wrong information from Alan Purisima who was suspiciously active in the actual operation despite being suspended, he could have done a whole lot more to keep the loss of lives to a minimum.
Other key raised and stated bluntly include Purisima’s “usurpation of authority” from acting PNP chief Leonardo Espina despite his suspension and Special Action Force (SAF) commander Getulio Napeñas committing grave misconduct by dealing directly with a suspended Purisima.
While the report acknowledged American involvement in the operation, it did mention that Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan ignored an order by one of the Americans (presumably an American government bureaucrat) to fire the artillery by telling him that “he is the commander” and the American cannot dictate to him what to do in that incident.
But the report also said that if the military did fire artillery rounds, the battle would have ended earlier and resulted in fewer casualties. While it mentioned significant American involvement—which would surely rile left wing anti-American militants—the report acknowledged that the United States government did more than it looks, while the national government as represented by the military, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and finally the
President, could have done something more to ensure the survival of the 44 SAF police commandos.
There was little doubt about US involvement contrary to what the Department of Foreign Affairs claimed. They offered cash, equipment and expertise. In the end, Filipino lives were on the line and sacrificed in a high-risk the operation to get international terrorists.
The President failed, the Senate report said, because he had the power to do more but instead entrusted the success and failure of the whole operation to a friend who was supposed to be out of the loop but took charge and blindsided everyone.
Should the President apologize now?
It’s late in the day to say I’m sorry but humility and cleaning one’s slate is a fitting exercise for the season of Lent.
Who knows?
The people, his Bosses, may just forgive him – eventually, if he’s lucky.