AFP refused to provide information to BOI

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) denied the police Board of Inquiry's (BOI) requests for interviews and other "crucial information" on the January 25 clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

The Philippines National Police's BOI, led by Director Benjamin Magalong, admitted in the report released on Friday that information obtained from "certain key personalities" for the investigation on the deaths of the 44 Special Action Force commandos were "limited."

Besides suspended police chief Director General Alan Purisima and President Benigno Aquino III whom the BOI was not able to interview, military chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. and Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero of the Western Mindanao Command "refused to be interviewed by the BOI despite repeated requests."

DOCUMENT: PNP Board of Inquiry's Mamasapano Report

The board also failed to obtain material evidence for forensic study from the military.

"BOI's requests for the submission of cellular phones for forensic examination were also denied by CSAFP Catapang, Guerrero, suspended CPNP Purisima and AFP officers," the report stated.

Purisima refused to turn over his cellular phone to the BOI and instead prepared a transcript of text messages with Aquino that "did not consistently indicate the time when the SMS messages were sent and/or received."

"The BOI also observed that there appears to be an unusually long gap or an absence of SMS exchange between PDG Purisima and the President after 11:38 a.m. and before 6:20 p.m.," the report said.

Guerrero, meanwhile, submitted a sworn statement instead of answering queries face-to-face.

Former Special Action Force commander Getulio Napeñas had admitted that the military was not informed of the operation targeting two international terrorists for fears of a leak that would render the mission's failure.

Catapang maintained that proper coordination could have made a difference in the incident, the worst combat loss in a single day in recent memory. 

Besides the declined interviews, there was also a lack of access to the specific details of Aquino's activities in Zamboanga City on the day of the clash. "[It] could have shed light on events prior to, during and after the operation," it said.

Leaders, commanders and other members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front also declined interview requests.

Two days after "Oplan Exodus" that spiraled into a deadly firefight with Moro rebels, the Department of Interior and Local Government formed the BOI to look into the tactical matters of the tragedy.

The board was given one month to complete an "all-inclusive report" on the incident, but was delayed by almost a week in releasing it.

The investigating team, however, said that despite unavailability of some key data, it "succeeded in conducting several interviews, obtaining various types of evidence, processing and reviewing hundreds of documents and conducting ocular inspection in Mamasapano" to produce the report.