SACKED Special Action Force (SAF) chief Getulio Napenas on Tuesday denied making a fool of President Aquino, who has blamed the former ground commander for the botched Mamasapano operation in Maguindanao.
Aquino, in a speech before evangelical church leaders last month, accused Napenas of fooling him when the latter failed to coordinate with the military for reinforcement and “kept the operation to himself.”
“Maraming wishful thinking si (Director Getulio) Napeñas compared to reality. Malinaw na binola ako (Napeñas let wishful thinking prevailed over reality. It is clear that I have been fooled),” Aquino has said.
During the House investigation on the Mamasapano tragedy, Napeñas begged to disagree: “Sa posisyon ko, hindi ko kayang lokohin ang Presidente. Napakataas na posisyon yun, hindi ko magagawang mambola.”
“Presidente pa ‘yun. I can never do that,” he added.
Aquino has drawn flak for refusing to accept responsibility for the debacle and instead heaped all the blame on Napeñas.
Aquino said Napeñas failed to coordinate the mission which resulted in the killing of 44 SAF commandos, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and five civilians in a 12-hour gunbattle.
The police Board of Inquiry in its report found that Aquino bypassed the police chain of command when he authorized Napeñas and then-suspended police chief Alan Purisima to lead the operation while keeping acting police chief Leonardo Espina in the dark.
Meanwhile, the Senate panel led by Senator Grace Poe found Aquino “ultimately responsible” because of his giving assent to Purisima, his long-time friend.
Some congressmen were outraged over the involvement of the MILF in the attack against SAF as the lower chamber mulls the passage of the Bangsamoro basic bill, which seeks to create another Bangsamoro entity.