Poe says Purisima must explain role in ‘Oplan Wolverine”

Sen. Grace Poe on Sunday said Director General Alan Purisima, the suspended chief of the Philippine National Police, must explain his role in “Oplan Wolverine,” the covert operation to take down two international terrorists that cost the lives of 44 police commandos more than a week ago. EDWIN BACASMAS

MANILA, Philippines–Sen. Grace Poe on Sunday said Director General Alan Purisima, the suspended chief of the Philippine National Police, must explain his role in “Oplan Wolverine,” the covert operation to take down two international terrorists that cost the lives of 44 police commandos more than a week ago.

On Wednesday, Poe’s committee on public order will open an inquiry into the operation carried out by 392 commandos from the elite PNP Special Action Force (SAF) in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province, on Jan. 25.

Speaking in an interview on dzBB radio, Poe said the objective of the inquiry was to determine who gave the order to launch the operation to get Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” and local terrorist Basit Usman.

Marwan, with a $6-million price on his head, was killed by the SAF during the operation. Usman, for whose capture the United States has offered a $3-million reward, got away.

Forty-four SAF commandos were killed in gun battles with Moro guerrillas from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Why is he silent?

Poe said Purisima had been silent despite reports that it was he, although suspended by the Ombudsman over graft charges, who directed the operation from his house in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

She also noted that Purisima, a former SAF commander, has not publicly expressed his sympathies over the deaths of the 44 commandos, stoking even more public anger.

“If your name is being linked to the incident but you were not involved in it, isn’t it natural for [you] to defend [yourself], come out and say [you have] nothing to do with it?” Poe said.

She said her committee had already sent an invitation to Purisima to appear at the opening hearing on Wednesday, although she could not confirm his appearance because there were reports that he was out of the country.

But Purisima can attend subsequent hearings, she said, adding that she will issue a subpoena if necessary to compel his presence at the inquiry.

Poe said Chief Supt. Getulio Napeñas, the SAF commander who has been relieved pending investigation of the Mamasapano bloodbath, would also be called to the inquiry.

In an interview with the Inquirer on Tuesay, Napeñas said he did not notify the military and the MILF about the operation to avoid alerting the mission’s targets. He said he did not trust the MILF.

Napeñas took full responsibility for what happened, but Poe said she did not believe Napeñas acted alone. She said she believed a higher-ranking official had a hand in the SAF operation.

Poe explained that the SAF mission was a complicated operation so that Napeñas should have consulted a superior officer. If he did not, then the operation was “wrong,” she said.

“But I don’t believe this, because I think an SAF commander has the task in an organization to consult a higher-up. General Napeñas is really the key to our [inquiry],” she said.

Napeñas reportedly admitted to Interior Secretary Mar Roxas in a closed-door meeting in Cotabato City on Jan. 26 that he coordinated the operation with Purisima.

A source who had knowledge of that meeting said Purisima “directed” the operation by “remote control” from his house in Camp Crame, the PNP national headquarters.

Palace knew about it

Another source said Purisima endorsed Oplan Wolverine to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission headed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa in 2011 for “additional support.”

In an interview with the Inquirer on Thursay, Napeñas said President Aquino knew about the operation.

Aquino, in a nationally televised address to the nation last Friday, admitted that he had knowledge of the operation, but did not categorically say that he gave the go-signal for the assault on Marwan’s hideout.

Also to be called to the Senate hearing on Wednesday are Roxas, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal and chief government peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer.

Board of inquiry

Roxas, the police overseer who also was not informed about the operation, met with SAF troopers on Sunday and assured them that the PNP board of inquiry would answer all questions about the carnage in Mamasapano.

“Like all of you, I am very interested to know the results of the investigation of the board of inquiry for us to know the truth. To show respect to those who lost their loved ones in the incident, we will make sure that the board will be transparent and truthful,” Roxas told the troopers at their headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

But Vice President Jejomar Binay proposed the formation of a truth commission to investigate the Mamasapano clash, saying the people may doubt the integrity of the police board of inquiry.

“I strongly urge Malacañang to consider the idea of an impartial investigation of the Mamasapano encounter by a commission composed of our retired chief justices and other eminent and respected [citizens],” Binay said in a statement.

He explained that investigations done by agencies involved in the incident “would always invite public skepticism, no matter how sincere the intent may be.”

But “[t]he creation of an independent body would erase any doubts as to the impartiality of the probers and the probe results,” he said.

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