No new evidence but Enrile satisfied with reopened Mamasapano probe

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile is satisfied on Wednesday with the outcome of the Senate probe on the Mamasapano incident. RAFFY LERMA

There was no new evidence unveiled in the reopening of the Senate probe on the tragic Mamasapano clash, but Senator Juan Ponce Enrile is satisfied with the outcome of the hearing held on Monday.

For Enrile, the main takeaway in the seven-hour hearing is that President Aquino deliberately compartmentalized the covert mission “Oplan Exodus” to himself and his pal, dismissed Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, who was then suspended from his post due to corruption allegations.

“That’s enough. I have already established the role of the President (in the operation),” he told reporters in an ambush interview.

During the hearing, Enrile said the President “intentionally, deliberately, and actually confined and arrogated unto himself and Purisima full knowledge, command and control, and strategic decisions over Oplan Exodus.”

“There will be no changes in the findings. I just focused on the role, responsibility and accountability of the President in the debacle,” he added.

Last year, the Senate, in its committee report on the clash, found Aquino “ultimately responsible” for the Mamasapano fiasco.

In the past hearings, the 91-year-old Senator said his colleagues in the Senate failed to establish the involvement of Aquino in the high-risk operation that led to the death of more than 60 Filipinos.

“‘Yan ang hindi nila tinutukan eh. There were no questions before about the President’s role,” he said.

He said the “new evidence” that were revealed in the reopened inquiry were the text messages between the key officials and their meeting at Bahay Pangarap on January 9 last year among Aquino, Purisima and former Special Action Force chief Getulio Napeñas.

The senator hinted that Aquino contributed to the death of the SAF troopers when he did object with the proposal of Napeñas to coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines “Time on Target.”

Asked what would his next move after the hearing, Enrile said:  “Bahala na ang husgado d’yan. Let the law enforcement people do their job in the future.” JE