Napeñas: I’m not allowed to get mad at the President

DESPITE President Benigno Aquino III’s severe criticism of the sacked Special Action Force commander for operational lapses in “Oplan Exodus” that led to the killing of 66 people, Police Director Getulio Napeñas said he is “not allowed to get mad at the President.”

“Hindi naman po tayo pwedeng magalit sa Pangulo. It reflects discipline [when you keep your anger in check]. They’re entitled to it,” Napeñas said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Bandila on Tuesday night.

“Pinalagpas ko na ‘yon. That has been quite a time…’Yung mga gano’n na pananalita, tiniis ko. l’ve lived with it but I intend to move on,” he said when asked if he was dismayed at the President’s dressing-down of him.

Aquino had said Napeñas “fooled” him for feeding him wrong information when the Special Action Force commandos carried out the secret mission “Operation Exodus.” The President also rebuked the two-star general for his “lack of professionalism.”

But days after Aquino heaped all the blame on Napeñas, the Senate and the police’s board of inquiry released their findings pointing to the commander in chief as “ultimately responsible” for the Mamasapano debacle.

“I am in no position to tell if what he had said (against me) was right or wrong. I will just let the people judge,” he said.

When asked if Aquino and his friend, Director General Alan Purisima, from whom Napeñas took orders, had faults during the planning and execution of “Exodus,” the police general said: “they could have done more.”

“During the time na nagigipit na ‘yung mga tao namin, from the time na humihingi kami ng artillery support, ano naman sana ang nagawa ng higher leadership at that time, si CPNP (Purisima) at tsaka yung mga matataas na pinuno natin sa Zamboanga?” he said.

Napeñas added that he hopes the higher ups “should have known what they could have done to help” his 44 SAF men who were fighting Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province during the January 25 mission.

“Exodus” targets Jemaah Islamiya-linked terrorists and bomb-making experts including Zulkifli Bin Hir or Marwan and his Filipino associates Abdul Basit Usman and Amin Baco. The SAF troopers killed Marwan in his hut while Usman and Baco managed to escape.

Like in his previous statements, the former head of the elite counterinsurgency unit maintained that the operation, which was deemed a failure by many, was a “success.”

“From our point of view, the mission is very simple: to neutralize Marwan. He was neutralized so it was a success at a high cost,” he said. AC