Dismissed PNP chief Alan Purisima (left) and former acting PNP chief Leonardo Espina arrive at the Senate’s reopening of the Mamasapano probe. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net
“I did not mislead the president,” former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Alan Purisima repeatedly told at a Senate hearing on Wednesday when confronted again about his alleged “misleading” and “confusing” text messages to President Benigno Aquino III about the Mamasapano incident.
It was Purisima, who first informed the president about the Mamasapano debacle through text messages sent in the early morning of that fateful day of January 25, 2015 where 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers perished from the botched police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
READ: Purisima: SAF neutralized Marwan
Senator Teofisto Guingona III noted that in the morning, Pursima informed the president that there was only one SAF trooper wounded and that the government forces were fighting only around 15 to 20 armed men.
Guingona recalled that Aquino’s reply to Purisima was: “If I remember correctly, 160 (SAF) troopers were directly involved in this operation plus provisions for other PNP and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) units to assist…”
“I’m reading this to show that the reality of what was happening on the ground was different from what the president knew. Now what was the source of knowledge of the president at this time? The source of what the situation was the text messages of General Purisima, which we know by now [were] totally different from what was happening on the ground,” the senator said.
“I’m doing this to show because there was an intimation kanina (a while ago) that the president did not care…” he further said.
READ: Enrile: Aquino interested only in Marwan’s body in Mamasapano debacle
Based on the information given by Purisima, Guingona said the president thought that the operation was going as planned.
“The point is there was no basis for the president at this point in time based again on the information that was fed him, there was no basis for the president to be alarmed…”
“Put yourself in his place. Isa lang ang wounded (Only one was wounded), 15 to 20 ang kalaban, ang pwersa mo 160 plus (your foes are around 15 to 20, your forces are composed of 160 plus personnel) of would you be alarmed? I don’t think so that’s why it’s not fair to say that there was no concern on the part of the president,” said the senator.
Guingona also pointed out another text where Purisima informed the president that the government forces were supported by mechanized and artillery support.
“He was not only misled as to the reality of the situation, the information was also confusing,” he said.
“I did not mislead,” Purisima said, “I did not mislead the president.” RAM
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