Collective responsibility

“We ought to let him hang there. Let him twist slowly in the wind.”

-—John Ehrlichman

It is unfair and unjust for Pres. Benigno Noynoy Aquino to single out and heap all the blame for the Mamasapano massacre on ex-SAF Director Getulio Napenas.

By solely blaming Napenas for the Mamasapano disaster, Pres. Aquino, in effect, has exonerated all others from culpability, including himself and resigned Director General Alan Purisima.

Napenas has become the classic fall guy and scapegoat.

Will Napenas accept the condemnation of the President, or will he fight back to save his honor and to seek justice, the truth, and dignity for family and the widows of the Fallen 44 who seek only justice and the truth?

At this point, the Mamasapano massacre, vis-à-vis the investigations, testimonies, and public hearings, has become more confusing, bizarre, incomplete, and misleading.

To terminate the acrimony and fingerpointing, the Mamasapano massacre should be considered a national tragedy, a collective guilt and responsibility, and a wakeup call to review and re-assess the situation in Mindanao.

Thus, a collective acceptability of the Mamasapano disaster is also a face-saving decision for Pres. Noynoy Aquino who has unbelievably and incredulously deluded himself into believing that he is blameless, sinless, and guiltless for a bungled operation that he initiated.

Pres. Aquino’s obsession to capture or kill Marwan for publicity, or in behalf of the US, for fame and glory, or for the US $5-million reward money, automatically makes the President culpable and responsible for Mamasapano that led to the horrendous loss of lives.

By extricating himself from blame, and insisting on his innocence, Pres. Noynoy Aquino exacerbates his plunging credibility and callousness and perception of deceit.

It is evident that Pres. Aquino was deeply involved in Oplan Exodus even if the bungling of the operations can be blamed on the ground commanders.

Hence, with collective responsibility, Pres. Noy Aquino will be saving fact as well as his regime until 2016 but not his credibility and sincerity.

Nevertheless, with his renowned stubbornness, hubris, and insensitivity with the loyal support of the so-called yellow press, the business oligarchs, and the DBM-subsidized senators and congressmen, Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino will most likely survive the crisis of confidence and get away with it.

There is no doubt that his credibility has considerably been eroded and his competence and efficacy are being questioned.

Had it not been for the proximity of elections in 2016, when he compulsory retires, Pres. Aquino could suffer from the wrath of another people power for forced resignation.

Last but not least, for Pres. Noy Aquino to bamboozle Congress to railroad the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the midst of Mamasapano, Pres. Aquino may be courting mass discontent that may precipitate in an early departure.

Thus, President Benigno Simeon Aquino will not only be guilty of double tragedy but also double jeopardy.

You be the judge.