Magalong: I did not backtrack on report

Police Director Benjamin Magalong. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The head of the Philippine National Police board of inquiry (BOI) on Thursday said President Aquino could not be held accountable for the disastrous counterterrorism operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, on Jan. 25 since he was “not part of the chain of command” in the 150,000-strong force.

Director Benjamin Magalong, also the chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, reiterated that the BOI did not absolve the President from any liability contrary to reports in the media.

He also doused speculations that he had backtracked from the rather bold position initially taken by the three-member BOI after meeting with Aquino and other officials in Malacañang on Tuesday.

“I stand by our word that we will not change our conclusions and findings in the BOI report. The meeting with the President does not at all affect the report and the investigation we did on the Mamasapano incident,” he said.

Magalong denied that the board took to task Aquino for “dealing directly” with then Special Action Force (SAF) chief, Director Getulio Napeñas, and then suspended PNP Director General Alan Purisima instead of communicating with Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, the PNP officer in charge. Napeñas has since been relieved as SAF chief and Purisima has resigned.

Citing the PNP Manual on Fundamental Doctrine, Magalong said the sitting PNP chief is considered the highest position in the police organization’s “established” chain of command.

“The President is not part of the chain of command, the established chain of command of the Philippine National Police,” Magalong said. “If you read the 2013 fundamental doctrine, the chain of command is very clear. It starts with the chief PNP. The President is not part of it.”

“So what’s his liability? None. We just stated the fact that the President exercised his prerogative, which is true. But he bypassed the chain of command. He dealt directly with Napeñas,” he added.

Malicious

Magalong took exception to what he called as “irresponsible and malicious” media reports that Aquino had swayed him to clear the President after Tuesday’s meeting at the Palace, which he described as “very straightforward and freewheeling.”

In an earlier interview, he said the President summoned him to the Palace to seek clarifications in the findings and conclusions contained in the BOI’s 128-page report, which the PNP uploaded on the Internet last Friday.

It was during their discussion, he said, that the President asked him why he was not interviewed by the board regarding his role in “Oplan Exodus,” a covert police mission to take down Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” and two other bomb experts.

The Jan. 25 police operation is the worst single-day combat loss of the PNP with 44 SAF commandos dead. Three civilians and 17 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters were also killed in the incident.

Roxas goofed

Magalong said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who has administrative supervision over the PNP, admitted during the meeting that he forgot to relay the BOI’s request to speak with Aquino.

“It’s very unfortunate that we were not given a chance to interview (the President) for some reason and circumstances which we could not control,” he said.

Magalong said he told Aquino that he had mentioned to Roxas the BOI request to talk to the President. He said that Roxas had “admitted that I really requested an interview, but I failed to remind him (Roxas) because we had to attend to so many things.”

The Inquirer repeatedly tried to ask Roxas for his reaction on the matter, but he did not reply to text messages sent to his mobile phone.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda issued a strongly worded statement over the weekend that Magalong had never asked Aquino for an interview. “The President would have answered any questions they may have had. But no official request was made,” Lacierda said.

Public record

On Thursday, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters he was leaving it up to Roxas to explain why he failed to transmit to the President the BOI’s request for an interview.

“In fairness to Secretary Roxas, I think he deserves an opportunity to explain his side regarding this matter,” Coloma said.

Coloma also said that the BOI report “will stand as it is.”

“What we know is that the report they submitted is final … It’s already a matter of public record,” he said.–Reports from Marlon Ramos, Nikko Dizon and Cenon B. Bibe Jr., Inquirer.net