Napeñas tells Cabinet officials he coordinated with Purisima, Aquino

MANILA, Philippines—The covert operation to take down international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” by the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) was kept a secret among sacked SAF commander Getulio Napeñas Jr., President Benigno Aquino III and resigned PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima.

This was revealed in a video obtained by Inquirer where Napeñas was seen briefing officials of the PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II on January 26, a day after the Mamasapano bloodbath in Maguindanao that killed 44 police commandos.

Napeñas admitted during the briefing that the “Oplan Exodus” was kept secret so as not to compromise the sensitive operation.

The police official cited previous failed operations, which were coordinated with AFP.

He also admitted that the operation was closely coordinated with Purisima, even if he was suspended by the Ombudsman due to graft and corruption charges.

He said he did not talk about the operation in the PNP except with Purisima and with Senior Superintendent Jojo Mendez of the PNP Intelligence Group.

According to him, they also briefed Aquino about the operation.

Roxas said he has not heard of these previous failed attempts to arrest the high value targets, or the Mamasapano operation.

He said prior secrecy was observed during the execution of the operation, saying the AFP was only informed time on target through a text message.

Following the time on target rule, Napeñas said he coordinated with Major General Edmundo Pangilinan, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, at about three or four in the morning through a text message.

When Gazmin asked about his text message to Pangilinan, he replied, saying, “I am informing him we are doing a special operation against high-value targets in his area.”

Pangilinan, however, was seen in the video showing Gazmin his mobile phone, to refute Napeñas’ claim that he was informed through a text message at “3 or 4 a.m.” The time stamp on the text message as shown to Gazmin was 5:06 a.m.

“That is not coordination. You call that a coordination?” Gazmin said.

The Mamasapano clash with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) the Bangsamoro Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and private armed groups on January 25 have sparked investigation on the lack of coordination between the PNP and the AFP and the alleged involvement of Purisima.

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