Why Napeñas took Purisima’s ‘advice’

MANILA, Philippines – Sacked Special Action Force commander Getulio Napeñas on Wednesday told the House of Representatives that resigned police chief Alan Purisima’s friendship with President Benigno Aquino III complicated the entire situation when Purisima “advised” him to keep the Mamasapano operation secret.

During the chamber’s inquiry on the incident, Napeñas was sought for his reaction on the fact that Purisima ordered him to keep the operation secret from Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, military chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, and the PNP police officer-in-charge, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina.

“Paglabas ni General Purisima ay sinabi niya sa akin ‘Huwag mo na muna sabihan ang dalawa (Roxas and Espina), ako na ang bahala kay Gen. Catapang’,” Napeñas said.

When asked by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. why he took seriously Purisima’s advice, Napeñas said: “Knowing the closeness of Purisima [to] the President, that [reality] put us in a volatile, bad situation.”

Purisima has said that the words he uttered to Napeñas were pieces of “advice” and do not constitute an “order.”

Purisima and Aquino go a long way back during the administration of the President’s late mother Corazon “Cory” Aquino.

Purisima was one of the security personnel protecting President Aquino when they were ambushed during the failed coup de etat against the Cory administration.