Roxas receives BOI final report on Mamasapano incident from PNP

DILG Secretary Mar Roxas accepts from PNP Board of Inquiry Chairman PDir Benjamin Magalong the copies of the report on the Mamasapano clash during the official turnover on Friday, March 13 at the National Headquarters lobby in Camp Crame, Quezon City. (PNP-PIO PHOTO)

MANILA  – Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas on Friday formally received the final report of Board of Inquiry (BOI) on the Mamasapano incident last Jan. 25 from Philippine National Police Officer-in-Charge (PNP OIC) Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina.

During the turnover, Roxas said that the official copy was signed by members of the BOI led by CIDG Chief Police Director Benjamin Magalong.

He said that the report was able to answer the core question that served as the primary rationale for the creation of the BOI.

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa BOI sa kanilang trabahong isinagawa rito (I thank the BOI for the work they put into this),” Roxas said, as acknowledgement of the fact-finding body after working on the report for more than a month using more than 300 sworn statements from pertinent sources.

“Ginawa natin ito hindi para magturo o mambintang. Ginawa natin ito dahil 44 na SAF ang namatay (We did this not to point fingers or lay blame. We did this because 44 SAF members were slain),” he said.

Roxas said that he would immediately submit a copy of the report to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa in Malacanang for the President, to Senate President Franklin Drilon, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales for appropriate action.

Roxas also announced that signed copies will be uploaded at PNP website (www.pnp.gov.ph) to a secure read-only website that will be made available to the public.

Roxas also said he was given an unsigned copy of the report, and he was able to browse it briefly.

“Sa aking mabilisang pagbasa, nasagot naman ang mga katanungan (My questions were answered even through a quick scan [of the report]),” Roxas said.

He added with the BOI report it confirms that the most liable person in Mamasapano incident is suspended PNP Chief Director General Alan Purisima.

”Matapos ko mabasa ang formal report hindi lahat ng mga annexes ay naconfirm ang aking pag iisip na ang may pangunahin pananagutan dito sa pagkamatay ng 44 na SAF troopers ay walang iba si suspended PNP Chief General Alan Purisima. Siya ay 4 star (general) head ng PNP, siya ang nangasiwa ng lahat ng operasyon sa simula pa lang,” he said.

(After reading the formal report, not all the annexes confirmed my thoughts that the only one responsible for the death of the 44 SAF troopers is nobody else but suspended PNP Chief General Alan Purisima. He is a 4-star general, head of the PNP, he managed the operation from the very beginning.)

He also said that Purisima is the one who give command to sacked PNP-SAF Dir. Getulio Napeñas on the operations and also did not pass the chain of command to Espina since he was suspended by the Office of Ombudsman.

”Inatas niya o dinelegate niya kay Director Napeñas pero ang supervision and quality control, pagsissiguro na tama ang trabaho ni Napeñas ay na kay Director General Purisima. Nung na suspend na si Director General Purisima at wala na syang kapangyarihan, wala na siya role at makibahagi hindi nya pinasa ang chain of command sa naktakdang kapangyariahn na siya PNP-OIC Espina. Hindi niya lang naipasa sinabihan nya pa si Director Napenas na ilihim itago ito huwag ito sabihin kay OIC Espina at sa akin. Pangatlo. yung utos at atas ng Pangulo (President Aquino) na coordinate ito sa AFP ay hindi rin nasunod, dalawang beses sinabi ito ng pangulo at yung isang beses ay hindi pa suspended si Director General Purisima,” Roxas explained during the press conference held at PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

(He delegated supervision and quality control to Director Napeñas. Purisima was in-charge of making sure that Napeñas did his job correctly. Before, Purisima was suspended and he didn’t have any power, he doesn’t have any role, yet he did not pass his power to the chain of command to PNP OIC Espina. He did not just turn over [the role/power], he also directed Napeñas to keep [the operation] a secret from Espina and me. Third, the President’s order to coordinate with the AFP was not carried out. The President gave this order twice, one time before Purisima was suspended.

The DILG chief also emphasize that the suspended PNP chief has not coordinated to AFP for the back up to SAF troopers and the operation was also undisclosed to AFP

”Lahat ng kanilang plano, pagkilos, pati pagpasok sa isang maselang, mapanganib. Talagang may nagsabi baka suicide mission, [pero] may assurance na merong resbak. ano ba resbak yung pagresponde ng AFP… Hindi nangyari yung resbak dahil sa kawalang ng coordination. Pwede tayo magdebate kung ano ba talaga but ang point is ay inilihim din ito sa AFP. Yung inaasahan resbak ay hindi dumating. Hindi nakakakilos in a timely manner ang AFP dahil hindi nila alam at yung inaasahan pagresponde o resbak ay hindi nga nakarating hanggang maubos yung 55th SAF,” he said.

(All of their plans, movement, and entry were delicate and dangerous. Some people were even saying that it might be a suicide mission, but there’s the assurance of having reinforcement.

By ‘reinforcement,’ we mean AFP’s response [team]. However, the reinforcement didn;’t arrive due to lack of coordination. We can debate all we want about what really happened, but the point is that [the operation] was also kept as a secret from the AFP. The expected reinforcement didn’t arrive. The AFP weren’t able to respond in a timely manner because they didn’t know anything the reinforcement didn’t arrive up until the members of the 55th SAF were already killed.)

Roxas also said that Napeñas also liable but in this case, it was Purisima who introduced SAF chief to president.

”Nandiyan din sa report, yung pagplano, coordinate ganun din. In this situation, yung pinagkatiwalaan ng Pangulo ay si Director General Purisima. Ang nagpakilala kay Napenas kay Pangulo ay si Director General Purisima at bilang 4 star siya pinakamataas na opisyal sa operational at tactical na siya dapat nagtiwala.

General Purisima also said as much in the senate. Sabi niya, ‘I am accountable.’ So hindi ko sinasabi ito nitong mga nakaraang linggo, hindi ko gusto mauna sa BOI,” said Roxas.

(It’s in the report, as well as the planning and coordination. In this situation, President Aquino trusted Director General Purisima. Napeñas was introduced by Purisima, and being a 4-star general, he was the highest official in the operation and tactical [team], which he trusted. Purisima said the same thing in the Senate, he said, ‘I am accountable.’ So I am not saying these things the past weeks, I didn’t want to preempt the BOI.)