First of two parts
THE front page headline of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) last Tuesday, March 24, was an intriguing “PNoy seeks understanding” over the Mamasapano Massacre. Below it was a subhead: “He won’t Apologize, say Palace sources.” Amazing fellow!
In short, President Benigno S. Aquino 3rd wants us – his alleged “Bosses” – to try to understand what happened with ‘Mercy & Compassion,’ as per Pope Francis’ famous message during the papal visit to Manila. However, the President will not – never! – say “sorry” for his fatal mistakes. This is all so confusing! Another instance of Hubris & Hypocrisy?
How can we, the Filipino people, give our understanding to the situation of President Aquino when he will NOT TELL THE TRUTH? In the past two months since PNoy gave his first press conference on January 28, what he has been saying is his own pathetic version of the truth on the debacle that resulted in the deaths of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) elite commandos.
Last Saturday, President B.S. Aquino 3rd talked about the Operation Exodus. He spoke of the betrayal of trust by his close friend, resigned PNP Chief Alan Purisima. The headline of the Inquirer last Monday, March 23, was “Purisima Let Me Down.” PNoy also blamed sacked SAF Commander Getulio Napenas, Jr. for his failure to communicate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
PNoy accused Purisima and Napeñas of deception. “If I (was) at fault here. It was because I trusted these people. Why did I fail to detect they were misleading me,” the President said in an exclusive 33-minute interview with the Inquirer. However, the real problem is not that he was deceived, but his trusting Purisima and making him illegally in charge of a top secret police operation inspite of his suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman!
Sad to say, what PNoy told the Inquirer (PDI) was replete with prevarications. First, he claims that his only directive to Purisima was to coordinate with the PNP Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Espina. This is supposedly because his BFF (Best Friend Forever) was already suspended as PNP Chief by the Ombudsman as of December 4, 2014. Fine.
However, what makes the story of President B. S. Aquino 3rd incredible is his giving an important order to a suspended PNP Chief. PNoy should have asked DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, the superior of the Acting PNP Chief, to be the one to coordinate with Deputy Director General (DDG) Espina. Unfortunately, Secretary Roxas was also “out of the loop” just like Espina! Was there a conspiracy to keep them both in the dark?
What President Aquino should have done was to immediately meet his DILG Secretary and the PNP OIC after he was informed by his National Security Adviser (NSA) on January 08 that Espina was “not in the loop.” It is very serious that a major police operation involving almost 400 troops does not have the knowledge and approval of the Acting PNP Chief.
Aquino then did nothing but, as he said, wonder why Espina was “not in the loop.” He did not pursue an answer from his NSA during the meeting. What kind of president would react in such passive a manner with a major counter-terrorism mission of the SAF?
After being apprised that the Acting PNP Chief was “not in the loop” on the operation Exodus, President Aquino could have invited Espina for the briefing the next day on January 9 presented by the SAF Commander Napeñas in Malacanang. His statements in the Inquirer published last Monday severely contradict each other.
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