‘Purisima was in control’
Erica Pabalinas, widow of Senior Inspector Ryan Pabalinas, speaks on behalf of families of the fallen SAF members yesterday. STAR/Willy Perez
MANILA, Philippines - Suspended Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima directed the operation by “remote control” that led to the killing of 44 PNP commandos, according to highly placed security sources.
The PNP Board of Inquiry, created to probe the bloody encounter with Islamic rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Sunday, is looking into a possible breach of protocol by Purisima that could have resulted in the operation gone horribly wrong, the sources said.
Purisima’s role in the operations is being examined by members of the investigating team, and also the process by which the operation was hatched and then implemented in view of reports that it had the go-signal of President Aquino.
The PNP chief, suspended for six months in connection with a corruption case, flew to Saipan yesterday ostensibly to attend a meeting of the Masons.
He has not responded to requests for comment on his reported role in the botched operation.
Although suspended, there is no need for Purisima to seek clearance from the Office of the Ombudsman if he intends to travel abroad during his suspension.
The covert operation turned bloody when Muslim rebels were alerted by gunfire when the PNP’s elite forces shot dead a man believed to be Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan, who had a $5-million bounty for his arrest.
The investigators are also looking into the failure of the Armed Forces based in Maguindanao to reinforce the SAF.
“The team will look into the lapses in the operation, the perceived lack of support from the military, criminal and administrative liabilities of those behind the operation,” an official told The STAR yesterday.
Separate sources from the intelligence community revealed that Purisima’s resolve to go after Marwan in a remote town in Mamasapano could be due to intelligence information shared by US counterparts.
“It is highly probable that the US tipped the location of the top Jemaah Islamiyah bomb-making expert,” military sources said.
They said the Philippines and the US have been regularly exchanging intelligence information, particularly on terror suspects, after the terrorist attacks in the US in 2001.
The US’s support, however, can only be on the use of modern equipment such as night capable goggles and some armaments, said another ranking officer assigned to a unit going after the high-profile criminals.
In light of the statement of PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina that he only learned about the operations “after the fact,” the team of investigators want to establish where sacked SAF commander Gen. Getulio Napeñas got his orders to launch the operation.
“Somebody assured the SAF forces of enough air and ground support. They will not enter the stronghold of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) or the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) without being sure about their target,” a military source said.
“The question arises also on why the reinforcements did not come despite calls for help by our fallen elite cops,” the source said.
Two chains of command
As this developed, some police officers pointed to the apparent confusion caused by “two chains of command” within the PNP hierarchy as a major reason for the setback in operations in Mamasapano.
Sources referred to President Aquino’s decision to retain Purisima at the helm, despite his suspension, and the appointment of Espina as officer-in-charge.
It is also an open secret at Camp Crame that Roxas and Purisima have not been seeing eye-to-eye in terms of running the police organization.
Some sources from the intelligence community blamed the bloody encounter on “the failure of the President to appoint a person with corresponding authority.”
“Purisima is still calling the shots. He remains the PNP chief,” they said.
The ranking officials also raised the dangers of allowing an armed unit such as the PNP to have two leaders at once.
“They carry arms with them. So it is very dangerous for them if they move without a clear leader… There should be an established leader, with corresponding authority,” the official said.
Since Espina is only in acting capacity, he does not have the necessary power to lead his troops, the sources said.
The Board of Inquiry is also looking into why Napeñas mobilized his men on direct orders from Purisima.
“Napeñas grew up in the SAF. He has been an expert in special operations. So he knew better that the SAF cannot act alone without clearance from the PNP chief,” a source said.
“The question arises why Napeñas acted on the orders of the suspended PNP chief,” the source added.
Other sources from the intelligence community are also looking into why the military failed to act on calls for help by the police elite forces.
As the first batch of SAF personnel pulled out, the second team was fired upon by Moro rebels.
A lone SAF member in the team survived the ambush but only after killing four rebels who were supposedly “lounging” around the encounter area, sources said.
In a televised address last Wednesday, President Aquino admitted that he received briefings from Purisima about the efforts to neutralize Marwan but parried questions on whether he gave the green light for last Sunday’s operations.
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