Senator Juan Ponce Enrile during the committee hearing on the Mamasapano encounter where 44 PNP SAF were killed.
INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
The line of command in the Armed Forces of the Philippines was paralyzed the day 44 elite troopers were massacred in Mamasapano a year ago.
Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, seeking to prove an alleged failure of leadership, Wednesday said President Aquino had “compartmentalized” the Mamasapano operation on Jan. 25, 2015, that left out the existing police and military hierarchy, immobilizing ground commanders at the critical moments and leading to the massacre of the Special Action Force (SAF) commandos.
Enrile said Wednesday at the reopening of the Senate inquiry into the slaughter of the SAF troopers after they had killed Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, that the planning and execution of “Oplan Exodus” were left only to Alan Purisima, the then suspended chief of the Philippine National Police, and Getulio Napeñas, the director of the Special Action Force (SAF) who had been sacked.
In a meeting in Malacañang’s Bahay Pangarap on Jan. 9, with Napeñas, Purisima and Supt. Fernando Marquez, the President gave the go ahead that Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and then the PNP officer in charge, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, be informed of the operation “time on target” when the SAF troopers were on the ground.
Purisima also later said he would take care of informing Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., the then Armed Forces chief of staff on the day of the operation to get Marwan.
Enrile berated Catapang for not responding fast enough to help the trapped SAF men. He was irked at Catapang at first when he asked the number of military troops sent to aid the SAF men and the former AFP chief replied by saying this could be answered by Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, commander of the 6th Infantry Division.
“For heaven’s sake, you are the chief of staff. If we are at war with China, and that is what you do, this country is doomed,” Enrile said.
Critical situation
He also asked why Catapang called his staff to make an assessment on the “criticality of the situation” of the SAF men. To which Catapang said they were not informed about the operation against Marwan.
“The Army should operate at the tip of your fingers in case of emergency. You are not supposed to remove your boots, that’s the manner of preparedness of the Armed Forces. You must be prepared all the time, at any time anywhere,” Enrile said.
Noting that the military was not informed about the operation, Catapang admitted that it took sometime for the military ground commanders to “react at the tactical level.”
Catapang also said there were two helicopters prepositioned in Cotabato province that day but the PNP did not request air support.
“My God, do you really need a request to support a beleaguered troop? My goodness,” Enrile said.
Catapang replied: “We follow the chain of command. The decision to utilize the helicopters was delegated to our tactical commanders. ”
Enrile asked Catapang if he informed President Aquino about the ground situation and the former AFP chief of staff said this was the job of the PNP.
“So the line of command was paralyzed that day. The command system of the AFP and the PNP was paralyzed on that day and that was the reason for the loss of 44 people,” Enrile concluded.
Eight blunders
He said this compartmentalization was among eight blunders that the Chief Executive committed in the planning and execution of Oplan Exodus, the code for project Marwan, and these were “at the center” of the Mamasapano debacle.
Saying he was out to seek justice for the dead and survivors in the bloody clash with Moro rebels after Marwan was killed, Enrile blamed Mr. Aquino for the Mamasapano debacle as he pointed out the role the President played in the police operation.
After the seven-hour hearing of the Senate committee on public order, Enrile said he focused on the President’s role, responsibility and accountability in the Mamasapano episode because this was not discussed in the earlier hearings of the committee chaired by Sen. Grace Poe.
He said he had “established” the President’s role in the operation, and that Wednesday’s hearing was enough.
Asked on the possible liability of Mr. Aquino, he said that this will be up to the courts if this reaches them. “Let the law enforcement people do the job in the future,” Enrile said.
Fulfilling promise
In his opening statement, Enrile said that he was just fulfilling his promise to the wounded SAF survivors who were confined at the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Enrile was detained there on a plunder case against him in connection with his alleged misuse of pork barrel funds but was released on bail in August last year.
“I am doing this so the people will know the national leaders who failed them because of ineptness and lack of leadership. I am doing this for truth and for no one else,” he said.
In his opening remarks, Enrile said Mr. Aquino:
Actively and directly participated in the planning and preparation of Oplan Exodus.
Deliberately compartmentalized the operation to himself and Purisima.
Was the approving authority of Oplan Exodus.
Was fully aware of what was going on during its execution.
Wantonly disregarded the command system of the PNP and the AFP.
Intentionally and actually and directly dealt with a person who before and at the time of the Mamasapano gruesome massacre was not an active part of the command system of either the AFP or the PNP.
Did not make any effective decision or issue any effective order or an effective action as President of the Republic of the Philippines to prevent barbaric slaughter and slaying of PNP troopers whom he knowingly sent in a dangerous mission to capture Marwan and two other targets.
Shielded himself from the responsibility and accountability for the Mamasapano debacle, deliberately hid or was hiding himself behind Purisima.
Facilitator
Enrile was able to confirm from Napeñas that Mr. Aquino, along with Purisima, Napeñas and Marquez, had discussed the details of Oplan Exodus, including the capture of Marwan dead or alive, on Jan. 9 at Bahay Pangarap.
Napeñas also said the President did not object or comment to his proposal on the usage of time on target or the manner of cooperation of the SAF with the military. He confirmed to Enrile that he asked Mr. Aquino that they would coordinate with the military only after the assault force was on the target location and that the Chief Executive did not object or comment.
Asked by Enrile what his role was at that meeting, Purisima—who was then suspended by the Ombudsman on a graft case—said he was a “facilitator.”
Enrile pointed out that President Aquino was “never heard” during the 12 hours of the firefight.
Based on the text messages that Purisima sent the President on the police operations, including the groups that the SAF groups were engaged with at that time, the Chief Executive was “fully informed about the ongoing operations,” Enrile said.
Interviewed by reporters after the hearing, Enrile said he did not agree that President Aquino was misinformed by Napeñas as he noted that the Palace has a massive intelligence fund for them not to know the real score.
Napeñas, for his part, told reporters that Enrile was able to show President Aquino’s role in the police operation as he insisted that the Chief Executive had the final say in the approval of Oplan Exodus.
Enrile told Napeñas that President Aquino “compartmentalized” or agreed to compartmentalize Oplan Exodus to himself and Purisima and Napeñas agreed.
“When I say compartment of Oplan Exodus, I mean the President intentionally, deliberately and actually confined and arrogated unto himself full knowledge, command and control and strategic decisions. The President excluded all others, including members of the Cabinet… he left it to himself and his trusted men,” he said.
Enrile asked Purisima if he understood what he meant by compartmentalization that the President did on the police operations. He replied by saying that Oplan Exodus was “crafted by the PNP SAF and our part is informatory.”
“That’s your defense,” Enrile said of Purisima, adding that President Aquino “excluded everyone else.’