Ex-SAF chief says map in Mamasapano operation from US counterpart

Sacked Special Action Force (SAF) Commander Getulio Napeñas said on Tuesday he used a map obtained from police “US counterparts” in the course of Oplan Exodus to hunt an international terrorist in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

During the House of Representatives probe on the Jan. 25 debacle that resulted in 67 persons killed, Napeñas countered Col. Gener del Rosario’s statement that the SAF used Google Maps in the operation.

Napeñas said he obtained a map from the SAF’s US counterpart.

The use of a map obtained from US police is proof of Washington’s involvement in the operational disaster, Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon said in a statement.

Ridon added that the formal investigations by the board of inquiry and the Senate already bared indications that US was involved and the Mamasapano operation was not 100 percent planned by Filipinos.

“In the BOI and Senate reports, we have learned that US operatives are in the tactical command posts themselves, monitoring and even directing the operation remotely,” Ridon said.

The Senate report said the operation was not 100 percent planned by Filipinos, citing an instance of an American ordering a military official to fire the artillery during the operation.

Meanwhile, the BOI said at least six American nationals were at the SAF command center hours before the elite cops swooped down on Mamasapano.

“Now, we discover that even basic implements like the operation vicinity’s map were provided by the Americans,” Ridon said.

“Clearly, US forces penetrated this area deeply and they even know more of the terrain than even our local forces,” he added.

Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan also confirmed the report findings that a foreigner ordered him to fire artillery. Pangilinan reportedly told off the foreigner and said he was the commander that time.

Pangilinan, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, however, did not confirm if the foreigner was an American.

“He is a Caucasian person in a civilian attire,” Pangilinan said.

The botched antiterror raid succeeded in killing Marwan but ended in the deaths of 44 SAF commandos, 18 MILF fighters and five civilians. RC