Relieved Philippine National Action-Special Action Force
(PNP-SAF) chief Supt. Getulio Pascual Napenas said on Monday the combined
forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamo Islamic Freedom
Fighters (BIFF) suffered at least 250 casualties during the encounter in
Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25.
”And yes, madams and sirs, you heard it right. Not less than
250 casualties on the side of the combined forces of the MILF, BIFF and other
private armed groups,” Napenas told the Senate inquiry into the bloody
Mamasapano incident.
Napenas said he based his estimate from the statement of
Police Supt. Raymond Train and PO2 Christopher Lalan, two of the survivors in
the whole day firefight between the combined troopers of the 84th and 55th companies
of the SAF and the MILF and BIFF elements.
The sacked SAF chief said Train, the overall commander of
the 84th company assault force, told him that he was able to shoot down 25 to
30 of the attackers.
”According to him, it is also safe to say that the entire
Assault Force, the 84th Company, was able to shoot down at least 150 of the
enemies,” Napenas told the Senate inquiry attended by at least 13 senators led
by Senate President Franklin Drilon.
Napenas said Lalan, the lone survivor of the 55th Company,
also told him that at least 100 members of the combined MILF and BIFF forces
were taken down by SAF troopers from his company.
”The 84th and 55th companies which took part in Oplan Exodus
also has two and six snipers, respectively, under their helm. For sure, these
highly-trained snipers could have shot down on the average at least 20 each
from the attackers,” Napenas said.
He said his estimate did not include those taken down by
other SAF troopers from the 45th, 42nd and 41st companies who were likewise
engaged in the firefight.
”In other words, had the artillery support we requested
arrived on time, the situation would have been entirely different, though I
admit, it may not have guaranteed zero-casualty on our part,” Napenas said.
The 392-member SAF contingent suffered 44 dead and 15
wounded in the firefight that took place when the SAF troopers executed ‘Oplan
Exodus’ aimed at capturing two high-value targets, terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir,
alias Marwan, and Basit Usman.
Marwan, prime suspect in the Bali bombing that killed 202
people and other bombings in Mindanao , was
killed in the operation while Usman, also a bomb-making expert like Marwan and
a BIFF commander, escaped.
With the killing of Marwan, Napenas called the operation
‘mission accomplished.’
”Only that it happened with a high price: The lives of 44
brave young men,” he said.
Napenas said he started working directly against Marwan and
Usman as early as 2010.
Napenas said he supervised the operations against Marwan in
July 2012 in Butig, Lanao del Sur but the latter managed to escape just a few
minutes before SAF troops arrived.
He said former Police Supt. (retired) Noel delos Reyes,
former deputy director for intelligence, knew how Marwan managed to escape.
Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero moved to invite Delos Reyes
in the next hearing.
Napenas said he again supervised the operations called
"Oplan Wolverine" on April 25, 2014 to get Marwan but it was
unfortunately aborted after the 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army
withdrew its commitment to provide mechanized brigade units to support the
operations.
On May 30, 2014, another operation in coordination with the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was launched but also aborted due to
heavy armed groups’ activity in the target area.
Barely 10 days later, the Philippine Army’s 6th ID
mechanized brigade conducted its own operation without coordination from the
SAF but they failed to neutralize Marwan and Usman.
”These are just few of the reasons why in the succeeding
operations, the coordination with the AFP will be time-on-target of the
arresting force, in order to avoid the possibility that our operation would be
compromised,” Napenas said.
Napenas, however, clarified that he was not blaming the AFP
why the information and preparations of operations seemed to have been leaked
whenever they went out against high-value targets.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=733866
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