Philippine National Police Former Special Action Forces
(PNP-SAF) chief Director General Getulio Napenas on Tuesday admitted that the United States
Testifying at the resumption of the Senate inquiry into the
bloody Mamasapano encounter, Napenas said that he requested for the US
”I took the initiative to ask for assistance from the US
Napenas explained the US
”I was asking about the role of the US or the FBI in the
intelligence, planning of the operation an extraction because there is reward
money, drones, choppers and index finger (Marwan) has been given to FBI instead
to the PNP,”
Napenas clarified that he has no knowledge whether the US
knew about the operation dubbed as ‘Oplan Exodus’ aimed at capturing two
high-profile terrorist Marwan or Zulkifli bin Hir and Basit Usman.
”I have no knowledge if the FBI knew about this operation
earlier. It was already during the time that we are receiving reports of
casualties that I requested for medical evacuation,” Napenas said.
Senators Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero and Loren Legarda inquired
Napenas why the SAF sent Marwan’s finger to the US Federal Bureau of
Investigation if the US
This time, Napenas requested for an executive session upon
advise by his legal counsel.
Marwan’s index finger was cut off by the SAF men after they
killed the Malaysian bomb expert and the US FBI reportedly confirmed the death
of Marwan through DNA tests.
Napenas reiterated that he had no direct order from
President Benigno Aquino III to proceed with the operation.
However, he claimed the President was present when he handed
the mission update to former PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima on
January 9 at the Bahay Pangarap in Malacanang.
”Your honor if there was a direct order from the President
that the mission is a go, that would have been a very good opportunity to me
and a situation where I could break a chain of command considering that order
would have come from the president,” Napenas.
Napenas said it was his judgment call to inform Interior
Secretary Mar Roxas, acting PNP chief Leonardo Espina, former PNP chief Alan
Purisima and even the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) about the operation
time on target.
The relived SAF chief, however, admitted that he got advice from
Purisima not to inform Roxas and Espina ahead of time.
Meanwhile, Espina clarified the PNP and the AFP has vibrant
relationship, saying the non-coordination was isolated in the ‘Oplan Exodus’.
”Honestly, the relationship of the whole AFP and the PNP is
vibrant. There might some misunderstanding on the ground on this particular
case,” Espina explained.
During the hearing, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV defended
the decision of Philippine Army 6th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen.
Edmundo Pangilinan to stick to military protocol by not giving immediately to
request for artillery fire.
”What if they broke the protocol and they fire artillery and
that killed our SAF troopers and civilians, that would be more difficult to
accept. It’s not that simple. It is very complex,” Trillanes, a former Navy
officer, said.
Napenas has said he inform the 6th ID about the encounter at
6:18am but reinforcement arrived only after seven hours, resulting to heavy
casualties in the operation that has not been coordinated with the AFP.
Napenas said the SAF troops, specifically the members of the
55th Company, have ran out of ammunition during the entire day of encounter
with the combined forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=734406
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