Former SAF chief Getulio Napeñas. (INQUIRER.net/Julliane Love de Jesus)
No longer “isolated” from the elite police unit he once led, former Special Action Force (SAF) chief Getulio Napeñas slammed ex-President Benigno Aquino III anew for making him and other top officials that led the 2015 Mamasapano raid “incompetent.”
“Pinalabas nila, ‘yung buong (Aquino) administration na ako ay incompetent, ‘yung mga kasama ko incompetent, binola ko raw na para daw akong tanga,” Napeñas told reporters at the SAF headquarters in Taguig City on Thursday.
Napeñas came back to the SAF’s headquarters to commemorate the third death anniversary of the “SAF 44.” He claimed that the past administration “disinvited” him to past events.
“Hindi nila ako ini-invite noon. But now, it’s a new administration and because of the designation of Taliño,” he said.
Taliño was SAF’s deputy chief at the time of the planning and execution of “Oplan Exodus” – the elite police force’s operation against Malaysian terrorist and bomb expert Zulkifli Bin Hir, alias “Marwan”, in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in 2015.
With Taliño’s appointment as new SAF chief, Napeñas said it was a “vindication” for him and for the rest of SAF officials whom Aquino blamed for the outcome of the operation, where more than 60 individuals were killed, including the 44 police commandos.
“It’s a vindication not only to me but to the whole of SAF,” Napeñas said.
“Ganoon din sila, sila General Taliño, Sr. Supt. Dela Rosa, Supt. Mangahis, Supt. Abayari, Supt. Train, Chief Insp. Marasigan dahil kasama ko sila na sinampahan ng kaso,” he said, referring to SAF top officials, who faced charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the Mamasapano incident. The cases against the police officials were dismissed except that of Napeñas.
It may be recalled that Napeñas hired now Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II as his counsel in the cases filed against him for command responsibility over the bungled Mamasapano operation. /kga