Bring closure

Several unresolved questions, and the unsatisfactory outcome of the Senate and Philippine National Police-Board of Inquiry (PNP-BoI) probes are compelling reasons for a more definitive investigation on the Mamasapano debacle that resulted in the death of 44 young police officers. The inquiry should be held either in Congress or any of the regular investigation bodies.

“Nobody could answer the question since Noynoy probably need not be told as he was getting information firsthand and as it happened.

Sen. Grace Poe’s Committee on Public Order came out with a report which concluded that former President Noynoy Aquino was “ultimately responsible” for the death of the Special Action Force (SAF) commandos but only through command responsibility.

It was basically the same conclusion in the PNP-BoI report.

An unresolved question was the extent of the involvement of Noynoy and the American government in the botched Oplan Exodus that targeted Malaysian bomb expert Marwan.

Even retired police Director Benjamin Magalong who headed the PNP-BoI probe said such questions were left unanswered.

The Senate report indicated the Americans provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, prior and during the mission.

The Americans, thus, interacted with the highest officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and government that meant everything passed through Malacañang regarding the mission.

That it was a police mission puts into question the legality of the US involvement since the agreements it had with the government involve only military engagements.

The report also cited exchanges between the commander of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, with American personnel when the SAF troopers were already overrun by hostile forces and were pleading for reinforcements.

“One of the Americans ordered Pangilinan to fire artillery. However, Pangilinan refused and told him, ‘Do not dictate to me what to do. I am the commander here,’” the report noted.

Aside from Noynoy’s own command chain that involved him, resigned PNP chief Alan Purisima and sacked SAF chief Getulio Napeñas, another layer of command involving the Americans was apparent in the mission.

One of the American personnel also urged Napeñas to “call your boss,” supposedly in reference to Purisima as the mission went awry with two companies of SAF commandos, the 84th and the 55th, were encircled by combined rebel forces from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

The report also appeared to have presented an alibi for the MILF in the term pintakasi, which means the supposed Muslim tradition of coming into the aid of a neighbor in trouble. Noynoy was suspected to have held back in ordering reinforcements to preserve the peace agreement with the rebels.

Neither the Americans nor Noynoy were presented during the investigations to give clarity to what happened.

In defending her panel’s failure to summon Noynoy, Poe said the former President is an honest man and can only be made accountable through the process of impeachment. As for the American involvement, nothing at all was recommended in the report.

Both the Senate and the PNP-BoI reports did not identify who was calling the shots during the fateful day when the massacre of the SAF commandos happened.

During a session of the Senate probe, Sen. Nancy Binay asked a basic question that left Noynoy’s Cabinet men and security officials dumbfounded.

The question was “Who told Aquino about the carnage of SAF troopers when it happened?”

None among the security or military officials gave an answer.

The cover of Noynoy then was that he was poorly apprised of the situation when the police operation was undertaken.

Nobody could answer the question, however, since Noynoy probably need not be told as he was getting information firsthand and as it happened which demolished his claim he was not given the correct information either by Purisima or Napeñas.

Closing the book on the Mamasapano incident would need a full disclosure from Noynoy and, of course, his accountability.