Napeñas claims responsibility for Mamasapano mission as ‘overall commander’

Sacked Philippine National Police-Special Action Force chief Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. confirmed once more on Tuesday that he was on top of the operation that led to the bloody Mamasapano clash.

 

During the resumption of the House hearing on the incident, Napeñas answered in the affirmative when Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice asked, "Do you confirm that you are the overall commander of Oplan Exodus, both in the planning and the implementation?"

 

The former SAF chief was relieved following the January 25 operation and encounter, where 66 people -- including 44 elite police officers -- were killed.

 

He has since been primarily blamed for the incident after various investigations were launched to shed light on it.

 

Operations vs. high-value targets

 

During the interpellation, Erice asked Napeñas if it was his first time to take command of an operation against a high-value target.

 

"No, your honor," the sacked SAF chief replied, at first pointing out the botched operations against wanted international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, who was one of the high-value targets of the January 25 operations.

 

The previous operations in Sulu and Lanao del Sur failed, he affirmed, which prompted Erice to say, "So wala pa kayong nagawang operation na successful?"

 

Napeñas then cited two "other operations" he led that didn't involve Marwan, but other high-value targets, such as Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Gafur Jumdali, who was killed with two others in an encounter with elite police forces in Sulu in 2010.

 

He added that these operations were carried out without having to inform the President of the plan.

 

Informing the President

 

Erice, an official of the Aquino-led Liberal Party, then proceeded to ask why top police officials felt the need to tell the President about Oplan Exodus.

 

"Nagtataka ako bakit ngayong isang operasyon sa isang high-value target na pwede niyo namang gawin nang hindi naprisinta sa Pangulo ay pinresent niyo," he said.

 

Napeñas said that despite his record of missions against high-value targets, he had only presented before Aquino twice—on April 25 last year when the President visited Camp Crame and at the January 9 meeting at Bahay Pangarap with then-suspended PNP chief Dir. Gen. Alan Purisima.

 

In separate investigations on the case, Napeñas said that during the second meeting, Purisima told him to keep the operation a secret from Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Dir. Gen. Leonardo Espina.

 

"Ang naaalala ko po, sabi niya, 'Pumunta tayo kay Presidente para mai-present natin 'yung mission update," he said on Tuesday.

 

Napeñas added, "Hindi ko po alam 'yung arrangement ng former director ng SAF nu'ng 2012 operations sa Lanao del Sur, if there was a direct contact at that time kay Presidente o wala." —NB, GMA News