Napeñas refutes MILF findings on Mamasapano clash

From GMA News (Mar 25): Napeñas refutes MILF findings on Mamasapano clash

Relieved Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) chief Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. on Wednesday belied some of the findings of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) regarding the January 25 Mamasapano incident.

In a television interview, Napeñas said there was no truth to the MILF's claim—as mentioned in its 35-page report submitted to the Senate on Tuesday—that the SAF violated the ceasefire agreement between the government and the rebel group when it conducted an operation in an MILF-controlled area without informing the group.

Napeñas said based on a joint communique on the guidelines for the ceasefire agreement signed by the government and the MILF on May 6, 2002, coordination with the MILF is not required when it comes to arresting high-value targets in an MILF-controlled territory.

Napeñas said the communique was supplemented by Joint Operational Guidelines of the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) signed by the military and police on July 23, 2013.

“[There is] no truth to that. It is provided for in the joint communique between the [government] and the MILF in 2002. This was supplemented by joint directive signed by [ex-PNP chief Director General Alan] Purisima and chief of AFP that in high value operation, communication is not needed,” Napeñas said.

A provision in the 2002 joint communique on the ceasefire agreement states that: “Except for operations against high-priority targets, a list of which shall be provided by the GPH panel to the MILF panel, the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) shall inform the GPH and the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) at least 24 hours prior to the conduct of the AFP/PNP operations in order to allow sufficient time for the evacuation of civilians and to avoid armed confrontation between the MILF forces.”

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima had earlier said that such provision in the ceasefire agreement was “vague.”

Oplan Exodus

The SAF operation, dubbed Oplan Exodus, was carried out to arrest alleged Malaysian bomber Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Filipino terrorist Abdulbasit Usman, who were holed up in a remote village in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Over 60 people, including 44 SAF troopers, were killed when the operation resulted in a clash with the MILF, its splinter group the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and other armed groups in the area.

In its report, the MILF said if only the necessary coordination was made, the “unfortunate  and tragic encounter could not have happened and the primacy of the peace process between the GPH and MILF safeguarded.”

The MILF said that while there is an exception in the ceasefire agreement provision with regards to arresting high-priority targets—in which case, coordination can be done for less than the minimum of 24 hours—“the exception pertains only to the number of hours within which to coordinate and not to the requirement for coordination.”

Self-defense

Meanwhile, Napeñas also belied the claim of the MILF in its report that its members just acted in self-defense during the Mamasapano encounter as it was the SAF troopers who first fired shots at MILF fighters.

“From the statement of the lone survivor, it was the MILF who first firedm” Napeñas said, referring to PO2 Christopher Lalan.

“In fact, they (SAF troopers) were reporting in tactical command that they saw a man but they didn’t fire. Then later on, they reported they were being fired upon. This contradicts the report of the MILF,” he added.

Lalan was part of the PNP SAF’s 55th Special Action Company (SAC), which served as the “blocking force” during the Mamasapano operation. Thirty-five of his  comrades in the 55th SAC perished from the encounter.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/458846/news/nation/napenas-refutes-milf-findings-on-mamasapano-clash