Catapang: ‘It’s only Napeñas who doesn’t trust the AFP’

Video by Ryan Leagogo/INQUIRER.net

(Update)

THERE are some wounds that two months cannot heal.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. and sacked Special Action Force (SAF) Chief Director Getulio Napeñas traded barbs at each other during the  hearing of the House investigation on the Jan. 25 Mamasapano debacle.

Catapang accused Napeñas of having no trust in the AFP for keeping them out of the loop in the planning and execution of “Oplan Exodus,” a military operation which sought to neutralize Malaysian terrorists Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan and Amin Baco and their Filipino associate Basit Usman.

“We are very close with the PNP. We are a band of brothers. We trust each other. It is only Gen. Napeñas who does not trust the AFP,” Catapang said, drawing murmurs from the audience.

Meanwhile, PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director Leonardo Espina said that ties between AFP and PNP remain strong despite what happened in Mamasapano.

“I have often repeated that what happened in Mamasapano is not reflective on the relationship of PNP and AFP,” Espina said.

On his part, Napeñas said that keeping them out of the loop was to prevent having a leakage on the operation.

“It’s not about distrust. It’s a big possibility that there might be leakage,” he said.

But in his view, Rep. Romeo Acop said that Napeñas kept the AFP in the dark for fear of competition.

While Espina was kept out of the loop, Napeñas has coordinated with then suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima who has also told him to hold off from telling the operation to Espina and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

Napeñas said the plan is to coordinate with the military and police on time on target or at a time the mission has already been launched.

The time on target concept is a primary factor why the reinforcements were delayed, leaving the SAF commandos exposed to heavily armed Moro rebels. The MILF , which has a  ceasefire agreement and a peace deal with government, said it was not informed of the operation.

Napeñas said the issue at hand is not about trusting the military or police but in keeping the operation covert to protect it from being compromised.

“It’s not about trust. It’s about the operational security to avoid compromise,” Napeñas said during the hearing.

The chamber is conducting an investigation on the botched Jan. 25 antiterror raid that succeeded in killing international terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan but ended in the deaths of 44 SAF commandos, 18 MILF fighters and five civilians. AC