Solons ask Aquino 20 questions

Militant lawmakers will send President Aquino 20 questions in lieu of his appearance in the House investigation of the Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash, according to Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate.

In an interview on dzBB radio on Sunday, Zarate said he was saddened that the President had been barred by his House allies led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. from attending the House hearing on Mamasapano  on April 6 and 7.

“This is his chance to finally say what he has to say after claiming he was not given the chance by the [Philippine National Police board of inquiry] and by the Senate,” Zarate said.

President Aquino has spoken publicly about Mamasapano four times, the last one during graduation ceremonies at the PNP Academy (PNPA) in Silang, Cavite province, on Thursday.

Mr. Aquino said his speech at the PNPA was his last statement on Mamasapano, unless the congressional investigators would need “further clarification” from him.

Zarate said his group had questions for Mr. Aquino and the President should answer the questions under oath, as he had been flip-flopping on his statements about his role and the instructions he gave as Special Action Force (SAF) commandos were fighting for their lives in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, on Jan. 25.

“When he first spoke on the issue, he claimed that it was (sacked SAF Director Getulio) Napeñas who was at fault and that (resigned PNP Director General Alan) Purisima was just an adviser. Later, he claimed Purisima lied to him. Lately, he said both Napeñas and Purisima were to blame. We want to hear the answers from the President himself,” Zarate said.

Gaps in P-Noy story

After four nationally broadcast speeches on Mamasapano, Zarate said, there remained plenty of gaps in the President’s story that needed to be filled.

Aside from the role of Purisima, Zarate said the President had to fully disclose the role of the United States in “Oplan Exodus,” the SAF mission to capture Malaysian-born terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” and Amin Baco, alias “Jihad,” and their Filipino associate, Basit Usman.

“They claimed that the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF)-Philippines  was disbanded last year. But it appears that it was dissolved only a month after Mamasapano,” Zarate said.

He said the US Embassy in Manila claimed that the American spotted in Mamasapano was part of the joint task force but the Pentagon issued a conflicting statement that claimed  the man was a “contractor.”

Zarate said the President’s continued refusal to make a full disclosure would indict him in the eyes of the public as trying to cover up something about Oplan Exodus.

In a letter to Negros Occidental Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer, chair of the House committee on public order and safety,  ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio said the House would delve into “the knowledge and participation of [President Aquino] and the extent of intervention by the government of the United States … which will lead to the conclusion that it is only the President himself who will be able to shed light on these matters.”

Questions for P-Noy

Here are the 20 questions for the President submitted by the Makabayan bloc to the committee:

1. Why did you authorize or allow the participation of then PNP chief Alan Purisima in Oplan Exodus even though you were fully aware that he was already suspended at that time?

2. If Purisima were only an “expert adviser,” why did you say that you ordered him to coordinate with (the PNP officer in charge, Deputy Director General Leonardo) Espina, and AFP Chief of Staff [Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr.] and that he did not follow [your] order?

3. Why didn’t you, as the Commander in Chief, direct Espina and Catapang to support the SAF, instead of delegating the task to a suspended official?

4. When you let a suspended official head an operation, received reports from him, and ordered SAF Director Napeñas to report to him, did you not violate the chain of command?

5. Did you not violate the suspension order issued by the Ombudsman against Purisima when you allowed [him] to head the operation?

Talk with Purisima

6. What did you and Purisima talk about during the Jan. 9 meeting at Bahay Pangarap, after Napeñas left and before Purisima told Napeñas, “Inform the two (referring to Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Espina) when the mission is already under way. I’ll take care of Catapang”?

7. How many times did you text Purisima and other officials about the operation in Mamasapano? What are the contents of these messages? Was there an instance that you made voice calls to Purisima and other officials on the matter?

8. You said that you were irked at Purisima because you could not make sense of his conflicting texts. Why did you not call him to clarify matters? Why did you not call other officials to know what was happening?

9. You were aware of the probability of “pintakasi,” that the SAF troopers will be attacked by any and all armed locals in the area. Why did you not order coordination with the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) even just hours before the operation was launched?

10. Were you not informed in the morning that the 55th Speical Action Company (SAC) was being engaged in an encounter?

11. The WesMinCom commander, (Lt. Gen. Rustico) Guerrero, testified that you were getting updates throughout the day at his headquarters in Zamboanga.  Who were the officials updating you and what was the information they gave you?

12. What were your orders to Guerrero or Catapang, if there were any?

13. Were you aware that the CCCH was working toward a ceasefire in the middle of the fighting?  When were you informed of this? Did you give any guidance in consideration of the peace talks with the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front)?

14. Did you give any orders to stand down?  Did you not give orders to Catapang or (6th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Edmundo) Pangilinan or to both of them not to fire the artillery in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, where the 55th SAC was engaged with the MILF and other armed locals in consideration of the peace talks with the MILF?

15. Why was there no air support during the Mamasapano operation?

16. What can you say about Napeñas’ statement that you left them in the lurch and that this is the highest form of betrayal?

Lie about Purisima

17. Why did you lie in your first speech on Jan. 28 about the involvement of Purisima during the period of his suspension?

18. Why did you allow US intervention—from the planning, funding, training, ISR, and during the very conduct of the operation and the subsequent evacuation, as is obvious from the presence of six Americans at the tactical command post?

19. What is your legal basis for allowing this intervention by the US military in a PNP law enforcement operation—a purely internal matter—even though this is not covered by the Mutual Defense Treaty, Visiting Forces Agreement and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement?

20. What was the extent of the participation of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines in the Mamasapano operation?  Why did the JSOTF close down on Feb. 24, 2015?