MANILA, Philippines – Senator Alan Peter Cayetano criticized the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for skipping the second day of the Senate hearing on Mamasapano incident, which killed 44 elite police officers in an attempt to go after top terrorists.
“I take offense of them not being here. Pinapabayaan nila ang pulis at militar [na] magturuan sa imbestigasyon kaya namatay ang 44 ay dahil sa atin…Kung hindi nila kinubkob si Marwan at lumaban sa 44 hindi patay ang 44,” he said.
“That’s why I can’t accept tuloy-tuloy ang hearing na ito tapos sila they take their time and attend later. ..,” he added.
MILF negotiating chair Mohagher Iqbal apologized for not attending the hearing in a letter he sent to Senator Grace Poe, and requested that he would attend in an executive session.
Cayetano later vented his frustration at Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr., and asked why there were no immediate reinforcements for the policemen.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
Members of the Special Action Force aimed at targeting top terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Basit Usman in a covert operation only informed the military when the Mamasapano operation was executed.
But the SAF troopers clashed with members of the MILF and the breakaway group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, which killed 44 police officers and 18 Moro rebels.
He asked Catapang to explain his media interviews and statements at the Senate hearing a day before that the military did not engage the MILF in order to save the peace process.
“Did the AFP, to your command, sacrificed the 44 in order to save the peace process?” he asked the AFP chief.
“No, your honor,” Catapang said.
“At that time you had two missions, save the peace process or save the 44. Ang sinabi mo ay parang magsuntukan kayo pero itali mo kamay mo sa likod mo so not to engage the MILF. How can they get the 44 if they will not engage the MILF,” Cayetano said.
“The instruction was to extricate them,” Catapang answered.
But the senator asked how soldiers could extricate the commandos without engaging the Moro fighters.
“We were fired upon and we fired,” the AFP chief said.
“Then why didn’t you give that order from the start Why did you have to say do not engage them?” Cayetano said.
Use of air assets
The senator also grilled the AFP chief why air assets were not used during the clashes.
“You said di pinalipad ang mga helicopter baka akalain ng MILF nilulusob sila. So what, you are there and they are dying and you’re thinking kung ano iisipin ng MILF?” he asked Catapang.
“Isn’t that true, sir, pag pinalipad mo makikita mo agad [kung] [na]saan ang labanan even without engaging [the MILF]? We just go higher, di ba makikita?” Cayetano stressed.
“Yes your honor,” Catapang said, but said there was no request.
“So pag nagsasaklolo ako nalulunod ako magre-request pa ako kung anong salbabida bago ako sasaklolohin. Kelangan pa sabihin specifically ano kelangan na tulong?” the senator asked.
Contingencies like in the movies
“Ako I’m a fan of these things. I’m no expert but I read, I watch all of the movies. Halimbawa sa US Army they have a contingency for every single event. Did you have a contingency for that,” he asked.
The AFP chief said they do not have any because of lack of coordination.
“In the ‘American President,’ the president said: ‘General do we have a contingency for this?’ and ang sabi nya we prepare a contingency for everything,” Cayetano said.
“So what if there was no coordination andun na e,” he added
Locating engaged troops through mobile phones
Cayetano also asked if they were aware that cellphones could be used in locating the engaged troops.
“Did they get the exact location of their men using their phones?” the senator asked Major General Edmundo Pangilinan, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.
“I was given the grid coordinates,” he said.
“You keep saying walang info, kulang ang info ng coordination. Did you know pwede kunin ang coordinates through the phone companies if you call CIDG. Can you answer directly my question,” Cayetano turned to Catapang, to which the latter answered no.
“Your honor, we do not use cellphones; we use military communication [equipment],” Catapang said.
“Alam mo pag nawala ang cellphone mo ngayon, general, I can call CIDG in 10 minutes. Sasabihin kung asan ka,” he said.
Cayetano later apologized to Catapang after the interrogation and blamed anew the MILF.
“I’m sorry. My raising of voice is not against you personally. I’m frustrated with all of this but let me reiterate ang ultimate na may kasalanan MILF,” Cayetano said.