Napeñas denies getting orders from Purisima during Mamasapano operation

Relieved Special Action Force Director Getulio Napeñas. INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Relieved Philippine National Police  Special Action Force  Director  Getulio  Napeñas  on Monday denied  getting orders from   resigned  PNP Chief Director  General  Alan Purisima  when   the Mamasapano operation was launched last January 25, saying  he himself was the one  “handling, directing” the  operation.

Answering  queries from Senator  Antonio Trillanes IV during the  hearing   of the Senate committee  on public order,   peace, unification and reconciliation, and finance,    Napeñas  made it clear  that he was not getting  orders   from then suspended Purisima.

“I was the  one handling, directing the operation…”  the  sacked SAF told the committees.

Asked about his statement  that Purisima, after a meeting with  President Benigno Aquino III in Malacanang last January 9,  told him   not to  inform  Local  Government Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP officer in charge Leonardo Espina about the Mamasapano operation, Napenas said: “It’s not an  order. It’s  a judgment call on my  part…” not to inform the two.

Napeñas reiterated that Pursima  was not giving orders  but  was  merely providing  information through  text messages  about the operation.

Asked   again  by Trillanes  what  lessons he had learned from the botched  operation, the sacked official  said he  would  work “very closely” with the Armed  Forces of the  Philippines.

He pointed out though that the SAF coordinated  several times with the 6th Infantry Division  but was even “abandoned” once  by the  said unit.

“That incident was very hurtful,”  said  Napeñas.

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