PNoy, Purisima did not order Mamasapano operation – Napeñas

Former Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) chief Director Getulio Napeñas yesterday admitted that President Aquino did not directly approve or defer the execution of “Oplan Exodus,” the operation plan to pursue suspected Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias “Marwan” and Filipino bomb expert Abdul Basit Usman.

Neither did resigned PNP Chief Director General Alan Purisima

made any direct orders to pursue the mission.

However, Napeñas said he took it as an implied order or “tacit approval” of the President when he didn’t receive any orders to defer the mission during the two briefings or updates he held with the Chief Executive and Purisima.

“I would like to cite the situation that in the two occasions that I joined Purisima for the mission update, during these two occasions, I was not given a no-go,” Napeñas told the Senate Public Order Committee at the continuation of the hearing on the killing of the 44 SAF commandos.

President Aquino did not also give a categorical order that the mission should be deferred.

“Iyong dalawang okasyon na nagpunta ako doon it would be interpreted on my part that there was implied or tacit approval for the mission, for the operation is a go considering na wala po sinabi ang akin, iyong una iyong pangalawa, walang nakarating sa akin na guidance o anumang order na hindi na ituloy ang operasyon na iyon,” Napeñas said.

Napeñas said the two mission briefings were held at the firing range in Malacañang and at the Bahay Pangarap where the President resides.

“In the same manner, maybe there are some people who would like hear that there was direct order or direct approval of the President for the mission is a go. There was none, that is really the truth,” Napeñas said.

“There was no direct order from President telling me to proceed or telling me that the mission is approved on that matter,” he added.

Napeñas had earlier admitted to the committee that it was his judgment call not to tell Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Manuel Roxas II and acting PNP Chief Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina immediately of their plans to conduct an operation against Marwan.

He said he decided to heed Purisima’s recommendation not to tell the two government officials of the mission until they are already on a time- on-target (TOT) mode due to previous botched operations they launched whenever they coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

No violation

Meanwhile, Malacañang said President Aquino did not violate any law when he consulted with Purisima about the covert police operation in Maguindanao despite his suspension.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda highlighted the legal opinion of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima that upheld the President’s discretion to get views even from a suspended official.

“No law prohibits the President from exercising his discretion to get the views of a suspended official on a particular matter if this would raise the confidence level of the President’s executive decision-making, so long as the act does not involve the performance of official functions pertaining to the post from which the official concerned was suspended from,” De Lima said in a text message relayed by Lacierda to the media.

President Aquino supposedly got a “mission update” from Purisima and two other police officials about “Oplan Exodus.”