Napeñas disputes photo showing he’s smiling while SAF men dying

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has shown to the Senate a photo of former Special Action Force Chief Getulio Napeñas and Deputy Director Noli Taliño smiling and looking at ease at the height of the gunfight between the SAF commandos and Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, a year ago.The photo is presented by Maj. Gen. Angelito de Leon, AFP deputy chief of staff for operations, PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES

HIS mouth was open but he was not smiling.

This was how former Special Action Force Director Getulio Napeñas debunked the military’s claim that he was smiling in a photo taken at the height of the Mamasapano debacle last year.

“Hindi ako nakangiti. Nakita nyo kung gaano kalungkot ang mukha ni General Taliño? Nagsasalita ako kaya nakabuka ang bibig ko,” Napeñas told reporters after the hearing on the incident on Wednesday.

READ: LOOK: Napeñas, Taliño smiling while SAF men being pinned down – AFP

Taliño is former SAF Deputy Director Noli Taliño, who was also at the photo presented by the military during the hearing of the Senate committees on public order; peace , unification and reconciliation; and finance.

Asked what was their mood at the time the photo was taken, Napeñas said: “Malungkot at ninerbiyos lahat kami. Sabi ko nga sa inyo paulit nyo, tingnan nyo yung mukha ni General Taliño kung gaano kalungkot na nakaganyan sya.”

“Ako nag-eexplain ako at hindi ako nakangiti,” he stressed.

Napeñas also explained why they were in civilian clothes, saying there were in operations security.

Asked again why he thinks the military would say that they were smiling in the photo if it were not true, the former SAF head said: “Tanungin sila kung anong klaseng pagkatao sila. Yung commander nila at saka yung nagpi-presenta.”

Napeñas did not elaborate.