MANILA, Philippines — The camp of sacked Special Action Force (SAF) commander Director Getulio Napeñas broke his silence on Tuesday after President Benigno Aquino III blamed him for the bungled operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January 29.
Napeñas' lawyer, Vitaliano Aguirre II, said his client did not defy Aquino as he was just following an order from then suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima.
In his testimony at the Senate, Napeñas claimed that Purisima told him not to bother coordinating with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.
"Maniniwala ka pa na isang heneral ng isang unit lang ng kapulisan ay maaaring hindi sumunod sa kautusan ng pangulo?" Aguirre said in a phone patch interview on GMA Network's News To Go.
Napeñas believed Purisima was relaying an order from Aquino. He testified at the Senate that the President and his long-time friend, Purisima, met behind closed doors on January 9 after Napeñas and intelligence director Senior Superintendent Fernando Mendez gave a briefing on the planned arrest of international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, weeks before the encounter that killed 44 SAF troopers.
Aguirre observed that Aquino did not explain why he allowed Purisima to work on the operation despite being suspended by the Ombudsman.
"Ang unang unang katanungan diyan ay, bakit ang pinangasiwa [ni President Aquino] ng operasyong napaka-selang ito ay ang suspindidong chief PNP?" the lawyer said. "Palagay ko sa kautusang 'yan, sa nangyaring 'yan, 'yan ang nagsimula ang lahat."
Roxas and Espina were not invited to the briefing.
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Aguirre said that Aquino, who claims having told Napeñas to inform the military, Roxas and Espina, could have asked for the two ranking security officers to join the meeting.
"Kung talagang inutusan niya si General Napeñas na i-coordinate ang dalawang opisyal na ito, bakit hindi siya mismo ang nagpatawag nang nakita niya magkakaroon ng briefing? [Bakit hindi niya tinanong,] 'O ba't wala dito si General Espina, ba't wala dito si Secretary Roxas?' Bakit hindi niya ipinatawag, sandaling-sandali lang naman ipatawag yun?," Aguirre noted.
Following advice of his peers at the PNP, Napeñas had long avoided answering questions from the media. Aguirre said Aquino's assertions on Monday putting all the blame on his client prompted the camp to speak up.
"Kahit minsan, hindi kami nagpa-interview sa ano mang sangay ng media ... Pero nang mangyari ito kahapon na wala nang [ibang] sinisisi si Pangulong Aquino kundi si General Napeñas, sabi ko kay General Napeñas na siguro naman time na nating magsalita."
Aquino accused Napeñas of lacking professionalism, being unrealistic and giving him wrong information on the high-profile mission.
"Maliwanag sa'kin, binola niya ako. Ngayon ano ang responsibilidad ko in this point in time?" Aquino said.
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