PNoy extols junior officer for excellent mission vs NPA: was it a dig at Napenas?

From InterAksyon (Mar 15): PNoy extols junior officer for excellent mission vs NPA: was it a dig at Napenas?



President Aquino salutes 2Lt. Jerson Sanchez after awarding him the Distinguished Conduct award on the sidelines of Sunday's Philippine Military Academy graduation rites. Sanchez was cited for good leadership on the battle ground, in a recent skirmish with communist rebels. JAIME SINAPIT, InterAksyon.com

President Benigno Aquino III lavished praise Sunday on a junior military officer for good leadership in a recent clash with communist rebels, in remarks seen as an indirect jab at the former Special Action Force chief whom he blames for the loss of 44 lives of police commandos in the Mamasapano mission.

During his speech at graduation rites of the 172-strong “Sinaglahi” Class 2015 of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Aquino bestowed the Distinguished Conduct Star on Second Lieutenant Jerson Sanchez; and then gave a lengthy exhortation for the new graduates to follow Sanchez's example.

“Sana mahigitan o matumbasan ang ipinamalas sa inyo ng inyong [I hope you can exceed or equal the example shown you by your] upper classman 2Lt. Jerson Sanchez,” Aquino told the new graduates who were commissioned second lieutenants and ensign in the service.

Sanchez is a member of the PMA “Siklab Diwa” Class 2014.

Many senior officers conceded they were taken aback by what they called the “surprise award” to the young lieutenant. Several of them had apparently expected some praise or recognition for AFP troops who helped extricate dozens of police commandos trapped in a "kill zone" in Barangay Tukanalipao in Mamasapano, where the SAF deployed them to get three terrorists hiding in Moro rebel territory.

A staggering 44 commandos were killed, but dozens were able to avoid a similar fate as the military sent its own men to help the PNP elite unit, albeit the backup was criticized as coming too little too late.

Aquino had put much of the blame on the high casualty count on sacked SAF director Getulio Napenas, accusing him of poor leadership and poor planning and strategizing. He insisted Napenas should have aborted the mission when it became clear that key premises of Oplan Exodus were not unfolding as expected. The commander in chief gave imprimatur to Exodus in a controversial Jan. 9 meeting with Napenas and suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima, that excluded the incumbent PNP officer in charge Gen. Leonardo Espina.

Hundreds of members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF) attacked the SAF teams as they were withdrawing after neutralizing international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alas Marwan.

“Hindi naman natin inaasahan na maging dalubhasa ang isang baguhan. Kaya nga nakakabilib itong si 2Lt. Sanchez dahil wala pang isang taon mula noong nagtapos siya ay pambihira na ang kanyang ipinamalas na angking lakas at galing sa pagtupad ng kanyang tungkulin [A new officer is not expected to be a combat veteran. That is why 2Lt. Sanchez is praiseworthy because he graduated just leass than a year ago, and yet he has shown us extraordinary strength and skills in carrying out his duty],” Aquino said - in comments widely seen as comparing Sanchez to Napenas, whom he did not name.

On February 16 this year, Sanchez led his platoon in the planning and assault on the encampment of some 30 heavily-armed New People’s Army (NPA) members in Barangay Datal Andas, Alabel, Sarangani.

"After many days of surveillance and strategic action, his platoon attacked more or less 30 NPA members in Barangay Datal Andas. What is admirable here is that the soldiers started out with much fewer men than the enemy, but because of a better strategy, superior arms and more effective use of these by the team of 2Lt. Sanchez, the rebels retreated and were scattered," Aquino said, speaking in Filipino.

The 8-hour firefight killed 7 rebels; the soldiers recovered 9 high-powered firearms, 5 pieces of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and assorted war materials. The relentless pressure also led to the surrender of 11 more rebels the next day, according to the government account.

"I must stress, Lt. Sanchez is a new officer, he is not a member of any elite unit, but in the short time he has been in the service, he has shown exceptional courage and effective leadership,” Aquino said.

“2Lt. Jerson Sanchez, you truly deserve this Distinguished Conduct Star,” he said as he accepted the salute of the young lieutenant.

Aquino said he wants Sanchez to be promoted outright to first lieutenant, but military procedures would have to be followed.

A police Board of Inquiry created after the Mamasapano debacle released its report last Friday, concluding that the commander in chief had disrupted the chain of command by dealing directly with Napenas and bypassing his superior, the acting PNP chief Espina. Napenas had been brought to Aquino at Bahay Pangarap by then-suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima.

Palace officials on Saturday accused the BOI, however, of unfairness, saying President Aquino could have aired his side to the BOI if asked. The BOI chaired by CIDG chief Director Benjamin Magalong had asked for the presidential interview through DILG SEcretary Mar Roxas, but got no feedback.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/106978/pnoy-extols-junior-officer-for-excellent-mission-vs-npa-was-it-a-dig-at-napenas