Aquino: I talked to SAF chief on Maguindanao ops

From Rappler (Jan 28): Aquino: I talked to SAF chief on Maguindanao ops

President Benigno Aquino III addresses the nation after the bloody clash in Maguindanao in an apparent bid to protect the gains of the peace process that now faces uncertainty, and to explain details of the attack



President Benigno Aquino III evaded questions on whether he authorized the operation to find a top terrorist – an operation that turned into a bloody clash between the Special Action Forces (SAF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which led to the death of 44 elite cops.

Aquino said the operation has long been given a go-signal – since 2002 – to arrest alleged Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as "Marwan,” and Abdul Basit Usman. But he admitted to talking to SAF director Getulio Napenas directly before the operation in Maguindanao.

"I was talking directly to the SAF director," he said.

In narrating what happened, Aquino said he repeatedly emphasized to Napenas to coordinate with the army.

"In continually repeating the need for coordination (to Napenas), the head of SAF always said, 'Yes sir,'" he said.

"I emphasized that other branches must be alerted, and their chiefs. It must be timely and the information complete."

He also admitted that he was in communication with suspended police chief Director General Alan Purisima.

"Gen Purisima was helping me understand it, he was involved until he was directed suspended by the Ombudsman," Aquino said.

However, when asked by journalists several times to give a categorical yes or no on whether he gave the go-signal for the January 25 operations, Aquino evaded the question.

The MILF has said they fought back – despite a ceasefire with the government – in self-defense, since the SAF team did not coordinate the operation with them. The MILF lost 10 of its men in the incident described by government officials as a "misencounter."

On Sunday, January 25, some 392 SAF commandos entered Mamasapano town in Maguindanao, a known bailiwick of the MILF. They were targeting two “high value targets,” one of them Marwan. (READ: Dead or alive? Top terrorist was cops' target)

The incident occurred less than a year after the group signed a landmark peace deal with the Philippine government, and as lawmakers deliberate on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which seeks to create an autonomous region initially headed by the MILF.

Following the clashes however, some parties have expressed doubts over the fate of the BBL including Vice President Jejomar Binay. Two senators have also withdrawn as authors of the proposed BBL – Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito – because of the incident.

Long battle

Aquino also defended the peace process, saying it would honor the deaths of the SAF officers.

"If this peace process does not succeed, if we return to status quo, if it worsens, won't this be the opposite of what they died for?," he said.

He said both sides have come so far to achieve lasting peace, and stopping now would mean returning to the exact same thing the government has worked to fix.

"If thats' what will happen, who will benefit? If this will not conitue, how many more graves will we dig? How many children will grow up idolizing Marwan and wanting to be Usman?," he said.

The President’s defense of the peace process comes as no surprise.

In 2011, the deaths of 19 soldiers in Al-Barka, Basilan, caused a public outcry and national mourning. Even back then, Aquino resisted numerous calls to declare war against the MILF and break a ceasefire that’s been in place since 2008, and instead trudged on to finalize a peace deal that would end 4 decades of fighting.

Muslim rebels have been battling for autonomy in the southern islands of the mainly Catholic Philippines since the 1970s, a conflict that had claimed tens of thousands of lives.

In March 2014, the international community witnessed the signing of the peace pact between the government and the MILF, a process that included international parties to ensure its success namely Japan, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, as well as the nongovernment organizations Asia Foundation, Coalition Resources, and the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue.

What now?

The effect of Aquino’s speech remains to be seen.

The Senate is scheduled to look into the Maguindanao incident starting Wednesday, February 4. Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr, chairperson of the Senate local government committee, has suspended scheduled hearings on the BBL following the clash.

Any delay is viewed as a setback by some parties, like Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Senate President Franklin Drilon.

In 2014, as the President reviewed the final draft of the BBL before transmitting the measure to Congress, MILF deputy chief Ghazali Jaafar told Agence France-Presse that Aquino must marshall his allies in Congress to pass the law as soon as possible.

"We accepted explanations given, but any further delays could impact on the full ratification of the deal," Jaafar said, while emphasizing that MILF fighters remained "deeply concerned" about the slowdown.

The administration’s goal is to create the autonomous region by mid-2016, when Aquino is required by the constitution to stand down.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/82216-aquino-address-maguindanao-peace-process