MILF, not PNP, informed govt’s ceasefire body about Mamasapano clash

From GMA News (Feb 23): MILF, not PNP, informed govt’s ceasefire body about Mamasapano clash

It was the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and not the Philippine National Police (PNP),which first sounded alarm bells for the government’s ceasefire body about the deadly Mamasapano clash last January 25.

During the continuation of the Senate hearings on the deadly encounter, Brig. Gen. Carlito Galvez, Jr. of the Philippine government’s Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) with the MILF said he never got a call from relieved PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) head Chief Supt. Getulio Napeñas or any other police on the day of the clash.

“It is very unfortunate na wala pong PNP na tumawag sa akin,” Galvez said during the Senate inquiry.

Galvez further said he first got an information about the encounter from his counterpart from the MILF at 6:38 a.m.

Asked what he did upon learning about the clash, Galvez said he called up military ground commanders, who informed him that there was no firefight between the MILF and AFP.

“Tinawagan po namin ang field commanders. Vinerify kung may sa 105th AFP. Tumawag kami sa field units at tinning may engkwentro. Sinabi wala po,” he said.

Mamasapano clash

On January 25, 44 PNP-SAF members were killed in a firefight with the MILF and its breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). Eighteen MILF fighters were also killed in the encounter.

The clash occurred despite a peace deal signed by the MILF and the Philippine government last year.

The police commandos supposedly entered an MILF-controlled area to arrest Filipino bomb maker Abdulbasit Usman and Malaysian terrorist Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan,” who was confirmed killed in the operation by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation after a DNA test.

MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal earlier said MILF members only defended themselves during the incident. He added that government forces did not inform their group about the operation.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/441862/news/nation/milf-not-pnp-informed-govt-s-ceasefire-body-about-mamasapano-clash