MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin confirmed Thursday that relieved Special Action Force (SAF) commander Police Director Getulio Napeñas was the one who gave the go-signal to conduct the botched operation.
He could not confirm, however, whether President Aquino was aware of the SAF operation from the beginning.
"I am not privy to that but as commander-in-chief, he is informed about them especially those on high-value targets. Now, as to go or no go, that's the call of the ground commander," Gazmin said.
"I think the ground commander is Police Gen. Napeñas," he added.
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE: Mamasapano incident 3rd SAF-MILF clash since 1995
When asked if he thinks the Mamasapano clash was a "misencounter," Gazmin said: "I cannot answer that. We will know that from the board of inquiry."
The government has formed a board of inquiry to determine if lapses were committed during the gun battle Sunday, the eve of the Philippine National Police's 24th anniversary.
PNP Officer-in-charge Deputy Dir. Gen. Leonardo Espina and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, however, have already called the clash a "misencounter" even before the board was created.
The MILF has also formed a special investigation commission to look into the events leading to the incident.
Military sources revealed that the Army's 6th Infantry Division is also conducting its own probe on the brutal killing of the 44 policemen.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the investigation would cover the "circumstances surrounding the carnage of the PNP-SAF."
"We are doing this to prevent similar incidents and in preparation for the congressional hearing in February," a military officer said.
Another source said there might have been an intention to withhold information about the operation because of the sensitivity of the targets.
"I understand that we were kept in the dark until it became something that we did not want to happen. When we learned about it, it was too late," he said.
The source revealed that the Army troops had seen at least 36 bodies of policemen upon their arrival at the encounter site. – with Leslie Anne Mahusay