Poe: Closed-door session with Napeñas productive

MANILA, Philippines - For four hours, sacked Special Action Force (SAF) commander Director Getulio Napeñas revealed vital information that gave senators a chance to tie some loose ends on the planning up to the implementation of "Oplan Exodus" last January 25.

“I think it was very productive. We were able to learn a lot of things or at least re-confirm the things we already knew,” said Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs which is the lead committee probing the Mamasapano clash.

Napeñas talked to the senators in an executive session as agreed during committee's past on the Mamasapano clash.

Poe said many areas of concern were discussed and clarified by Napeñas, who has been owning up accountability over the Mamasapano incident.

Oplan Exodus was meant for neutralization of terrorist Zulkilfi bin Hir alias Marwan. The terorrist was killed in the operation, but 44 SAF men also died in intense firefights against members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which supposedly has a peace agreement with the government.

“I will not spell out details of the executive session until we have come up with consensus on which topics can be made available,” Poe said.

When asked if the senators were able to look into the alleged inviolvement of the United States government in going after Marwan, Poe did not give a detailed answer apparently due to the sensitivity of the matter.

“I think it was very free and honest and that our resource person was more comfortable,” Poe explained.

The senator also parried questions that dealt with the issue of command responsibility pertaining to officials higher than PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima, who had since resigned due to the controversy.

The Senate went on executive session with Napeñas for about four hours, but had to forego hearing the testimonies of Philippine National Police (PNP) Intelligence Group director Chief Superintendent Fernando Mendez to pave way for the plenary session.

Purisima also waited for his turn, but was just asked to return for another executive session on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said he sees nothing wrong about the intelligence information sharing between the Philippines and the United States, which apparently became evident in the Operation Plan: Exodus that was hatched to go after Julkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, in Maguindanao.

“We welcome intelligence sharing, because we alone are not capable of having such information,” Trillanes said.

Trillanes also tried to parry questions that the United States had a direct hand in the operations.

“I wouldn’t want to speculate until were validate that information,” Trillanes said, when asked about the US military’s alleged involvement in the operations.

Trillanes also debunked reports that top US military officials joined Napeñas and military officials at a tactical post in Shariff Aguak.

Any efforts pertaining of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions will have to be validated, Trillanes said.