MANILA -- Relieved Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) chief Getulio Napeñas insisted that the Mamasapano incident that killed 44 police commandos was a massacre.
During the resumption of the congressional investigation on the January 25 bloodshed, Napeñas told lawmakers that the incident involving the SAF and Moro rebels in the village of Tukanalipao was not a simple misencounter.
"Yung misencounter your honor, that would last only maybe maximum na 'yung 30 minutes. Hindi iyon inabot [dapat] ng maghapon… it is a massacre your honor," said Napeñas in response to questions posed by Representative Sylvestre Bello III (1-BAP party-list).
Napeñas cited as proof a viral video of an armed man shooting at close range in the head an injured member of the SAF.
"Buhay pa, nakita doon sa video, at nasabi na rin 'dun kanina na lumabas na din sa forensic examinations na binaril sa malapitan. Yung video na nakita noon, buhay pa nakita ang tao, binaril. So, massacre yun your honor," said the former SAF chief.
Napeñas said that during the execution of Oplan Exodus, they were in a route that was not passing the community of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but it was the MILF's 105th Base Command that pursued the police commandos in the middle of a cornfield in Barangay Tukanalipao.
"It is the MILF who went and attack our troops occupying an area na open na open. Walang mga kabahayan… they even crossed the river, na in-attempt nila puntahan ang mga tao namin sa gitna ng maisan," said the police official.
Independent bodies that conducted their probe into the botched law enforcement operation that killed Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, pinned the blame on Napeñas, resigned PNP chief Alan Purisima and President Benigno Aquino III.
Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II came to the defense of Aquino, particularly on Napeñas' interpretation of "time on target" coordination with the military, saying Napeñas misinterpreted his commander-in-chief.
Napeñas said he assumed that Aquino agreed with him, as the President did not say anything, when he made the suggestion to only inform the military of the police operation once the SAF commandos were already in the area.
"The silence of the President to me is a sign that he agrees to my suggestion, that calls for a comment, that is, to my impression, a sign of approval," Napeñas told the joint committee in Filipino.
In defense of the President, Roxas made a clarification.
"I cannot let this pass. He interpreted and forgot the last words of the President that he should coordinate this with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Now, it is clear that he should coordinate this with the AFP with matching timeliness," Roxas said.
Napeñas was relieved from his post following the failed operation that killed 44 of his men, 18 Moro rebels and five civilians. (Sunnex)
