Resignation of B. S. Aquino 3rd?

by RICK RAMOS

PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino  3rd must take full responsibility for the slaughter of the Special Action Force (SAF) troops on Jan 25,  in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. He must be held accountable for the savage massacre of the 44 SAF commandos by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) because he failed to act decisively as Chief Executive.

The simple question is who gave the order to proceed with Operation Exodus for the arrest of international terrorists Marwan (Malaysian) and Usman (Filipino). And the answer is as bright as day: President B. S. Aquino 3rd! There is no question about it! He is the only person who can bypass the Acting Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Secretary of the Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG).

It has been established in the Senate hearings that President Aquino held a meeting in Malacañang on Jan 9, attended by suspended PNP Director-General Alan Purisima, then SAF Commander Getulio Napeñas and SAF Intelligence Group Director Fernando Mendez.

No less than the suspended PNP Chief brought the SAF Chief Napeñas and  Intelligence Director Mendez to the meeting with the President.

Mr. Purisima has been suspended for six months by the Office of the Ombudsman beginning early December last year. Hence, he has NO Business with any PNP operations. So why was Purisima brought in and got involved with Operation Exodus by President Aquino when the former was already suspended by the Ombudsman?

In his first press conference on the Maguindanao Massacre on Jan 28, President Aquino flagrantly lied to the Filipino people while shamelessly invoking the Holy Bible that  “The Truth Shall Set You Free” (John 8:32).  Mr Aquino said that he only met with Purisima when the latter was still the PNP Chief (before suspension). This is presidential prevarication at its “finest” (read: Worst!).

During the press conference, PNoy also did not categorically answer the question from a Malacañang Palace reporter asking “Who gave the order to the SAF commander to execute the operation?” He even equivocated with brazen temerity asking if it was a “rhetorical question” with his face showing sarcastic contempt to such silly query. Yet he knew it all along, after all he had been given briefings (which he probably asked for) and he had a meeting with Purisima, Napeñas and Mendez at his official residence.

Other than being fully briefed and giving his approval on Operation Exodus, did President B. S. Aquino 3rd authorize the “advice” of suspended PNP Chief Purisima to SAF Director Napeñas not to inform the Acting PNP Chief Leonardo Espina and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas beforehand? In the Senate hearing, Napeñas recalled that he and Mendez had left the room when the President and Purisima continued to discuss in private.

If President Aquino would claim that he did not know that Purisima had “advised” Napeñas not to tell Espina and Roxas, then why is it that the President did not inform them during the next 15 days (Jan 10-24) before Operation Exodus was launched?

Thus, it is obvious that President Aquino broke the Chain of Command in the PNP and the DILG. The PNP Chief is under the DILG Secretary in the same manner that the Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is under the Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND). Both DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas III and the DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin are under the President of the Philippines.

It now appears that there was a “conspiracy” between the suspended PNP Chief Purisima and President Aquino to usurp the authority of the Acting PNP Chief and the DILG Secretary. The Chief Executive did not even apprise his trusted DND Secretary Gazmin on Operation Exodus when coordination with the AFP was crucial. Gazmin served as Commander of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) when the late Corazon C. Aquino was president.

President Aquino cannot blame suspended PNP Chief Purisima for giving him wrong or inaccurate information on that fateful day of January 25. He cannot say that he was betrayed by someone he trusted. It is entirely the President’s fault  for committing an illegal act of authorizing a suspended PNP Chief to be in charge of a legitimate police operations.

Likewise, PNoy cannot blame the former SAF Commander Napenas for whatever lapses he committed. He placed Purisima as the Commander of Operation Exodus!

Resigned PNP Chief Purisima has now taken the fall for his long-time friend by assuming full responsibility to absolve the President. But even if he takes all the blame, it would not work. Why? Because as suspended PNP Chief, the only reason why he was able to do what he did was due the imprimatur of the Office of the President. Plain and simple!

Time to say Goodbye!
President Benigo S. Aquino III does not deserve to stay a day longer in office even if there are only 16 months left (March 2015-June 2016) left in his term. He has betrayed the Filipino people with his usual mental dishonesty with the Maguindanao Massacre.

President B. S. Aquino 3rd cannot tell the truth on what happened after 33 days (Jan. 26 – Feb. 27, 2015). He will make a final public statement only after the PNP Board of Inquiry (BOI) releases its official report. Why? Is President Aquino afraid that what he will tell the people will be inconsistent with the findings of the BOI Report?

Yet Communication Secretary Sonny Coloma has the brazen temerity to speak of “Transparency & Accountability” as the principle guiding the Aquino presidency. Such Hypocrisy  & Hubris of this shameless sycophant of President Aquino!

No less than former President Fidel V. Ramos (FVR) is asking for the truth on the Maguindanao Massacre of the elite police force, as he skipped for the first time in 29 years the EDSA People Power Revolution celebration to protest against President B.S. Aquino 3rd. He asked the citizenry to “Fight for the Truth” so President Aquino will be forced to tell what really happened, which he has not done in the past five weeks since Jan. 25, 2015.

The clamor for the resignation of the president is long overdue. His exceptional incompetence has already caused so much damage to the Filipino people in the past four years and eight months. It was first manifested with the August 2010 Luneta Hostage Incident that caused the death of seven Chinese tourists on holiday in Manila and now again with the slaughter of the 44 SAF commandos whose families are Crying for Justice.

Just like with the famous duet of Andrea Bocelli and Sara Brightman in 1997, it is “Time to Say Goodbye” for the puerile and pathetic president.

rbrpilipinas@gmail.com