'Americans used plane, not drone in Mamasapano'

From the Philippine Star posted to ABS=CBN (Apr 16): 'Americans used plane, not drone in Mamasapano'

The Americans who helped the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) monitor its operation against three suspected terrorists in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25 used a manned surveillance airplane and not a drone.

Relieved SAF chief Director Getulio Napeñas made this clarification during Tuesday’s final closed-door House hearing on the Mamasapano carnage that left 44 SAF troopers, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas and five civilians dead.

Responding to questions, Napeñas confirmed that several Americans monitored the operation that resulted in the death of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan.

He said the Americans provided them with real-time information on the progress of the operation.

Asked what specific aircraft the US nationals used, Napeñas told congressmen that contrary to popular impression that it was a drone or an unmanned aerial vehicle, it was actually an “airplane manned by Americans.”

He said the Americans were working for the joint US-Philippine special operations task force based in Zamboanga City.

While SAF troopers killed Marwan, their two other targets, Amin Baco, also a Malaysian, and Marwan’s Filipino deputy, Abdul Basit Usman, escaped.

Based on Napeñas’ statement in the closed-door hearing, it now appears that more than six Americans had apparently helped SAF in its Mamasapano operation.

The Senate and the PNP Board of Inquiry (BOI) have established the presence of six Americans in Mamasapano.

In a sworn statement he gave the BOI, Supt. Michael John Catindig Mangahis, one of Napeñas’ ground commanders, said he saw the six at the SAF tactical command post (TCP) in Sharif Aguak town on the eve of the operation.

The TCP was about 10 kilometers from the SAF target area in Mamasapano.

Asked who was with him at TCP, Mangahis said he saw Napeñas, deputy SAF chief Supt. Noli Taliño, Supt. Richard dela Rosa, Supt. Abraham Abayari, Sr. Insp. Lyndon Espe, a Police Officer 2 Belmes, “and six American nationals.”

“Do you know these American nationals?” was the next question.

“I met them only at the TCP during the operation, but I do not know them. I saw them the following day as pilots of the helicopter that helped in evacuating our wounded personnel in the hospital,” he said.

On Jan. 25, Americans in civilian clothes were photographed airlifting wounded SAF troopers using their green-and-white helicopter.

According to a Washington Post report, the Americans who helped SAF were “contract personnel” or civilian military contractors assigned with a US anti-terrorism task force based in Zamboanga City. Military contractors are mostly former members of the US armed forces.

Despite the confirmed assistance provided by the Americans on the day of the SAF operation, US Ambassador Philip Goldberg has insisted that the SAF mission was “Philippine-planned and executed.”

For his part, Foreign Affairs Usec. Evan Garcia claimed that the Mamasapano operation was “100-percent” planned and carried out by Filipinos.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/04/16/15/americans-used-plane-not-drone-mamasapano