Magalong: Aquino did not violate chain of command; he just bypassed it
Director Benjamin Magalong, the head of the Philippine National Police-Board of Inquiry (PNP-BOI), yesterday denied clearing President Aquino of any wrongdoing in the Mamasapano operations.
While he said that the President did not violate the PNP chain of
command, Magalong stressed that the Chief Executive bypassed it.
“The President is not part of…. the established chain of command of the PNP. If you will read the 2013 fundamental doctrine of the PNP, it’s very clear that the chain of command starts with the Chief, PNP. The President is not part of that so what’s his liability there? Nothing,” Magalong explained. But Magalong, the chief of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said the President bypassed the chain of command when he directly dealt with then SAF commander, Director Getulio Napeñas.
“We just stated the fact that the President exercised his prerogative which is true… kaya lang he bypassed the chain of command. He dealt directly with Napeñas,” said Magalong.
“Now, based on the established standard, tama ba ‘yan? Kayo na ang maghusga. Nag-state lang kami ng fact,” Magalong said.
Magalong issued the clarification following the BOI’s meeting with President Aquino last Tuesday. But he stressed that the meeting does not and will not affect their report on the Mamasapano incident.
“I stand by our word na hindi namin pinapalitan yung conclusions namin, yung findings namin doon sa BOI report,” Magalong told reporters at Camp Crame.
He emphasized that their meeting with the President “does not at all affect their report on the Mamasapano incident.”
Present in that meeting were Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, and BOI member Chief Supt. John Sosito.
According to Magalong, among the contentious issues raised by the President during the meeting was the matter of coordination prior to the implementation of the January 25 SAF operation, dubbed “Oplan Exodus.”
Magalong even described the meeting as “very straightforward,” “free flowing,” and “no-holds barred.”
“Unang-una walang nabago sa ating resulta ng ating imbestigasyon (First of all nothing has changed in the result of our investigation),” Magalong said, adding that he spoke about their meeting with the President because he wants to be truthful.
“But will it change the outcome, the conclusions of our BOI report? It does not. We will stand by it. We stood our ground,” he said.
“Pinayagan niya (President) ako na magtanong sa kanya at very straightforward yung discussion pero kung iniisip ninyo na… papalitan ko na yung result ng imbestigasyon dahil nagkaroon kami ng meeting, I did not,” said Magalong.
Admitting that he was hurt by published reports, saying he has cleared the President of any liability in the Mamasapano, Magalong said: “It doesn’t give justice to those people who helped us come up with that report and the investigation.”
“We already sacrificed our personal ambitions here… We are no longer thinking of our careers here. We have to set aside our personal ambitions para lang maging objective kami dito because we owe the public, we owe SAF44, we owe those SAF families na mabigyan ng hustisya yung kanilang mga namatay na miyembro,” he further stated.
Final
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. acknowledges that the BOI report on the tragic Mamasapano incident is already “final” and does not expect any change in the report even after President Aquino summoned police officials to Malacañang Tuesday.
“This is an independent undertaking of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Many have observed its independent and objective fact-finding report. And like I said, it is already final as it is. It’s a matter of public record,” Coloma said in a press briefing.
Coloma said it is now up to the concerned government agencies to use the BOI report to pursue further investigation against individuals involved in the Mamasapano clash.
“The BOI has certain recommendations and the concerned government agencies to use this as basis for further gathering of information and case buildup. In other words, the responsible government agencies can already pick up from where the BOI report left off,” he added.
Coloma made the remarks to dispel speculations that the President supposedly tried to influence the outcome of the police investigation following a recent meeting with the BOI head Police Director Benjamin Magalong and other police officials in the Palace.
The President gave his side of the Mamasapano operation in a bid to clarify certain findings of the BOI report during the meeting. Aquino reportedly took offense at the BOI findings that he violated PNP chain of command and allowed a suspended official to participate in the operation.
Coloma said there was “no animosity or hostility” during the meeting with the police investigators.
“It was a cordial and frank exchange of views. One of the descriptions mentioned by Director Tagalong was it was a no-holds barred meaning they were able to freely ask the President,” he said.
The President reportedly complained of not being given the courtesy to give his side.
Magalong said the BOI coursed the request to speak with Aquino through Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. The Cabinet secretary supposedly forgot to inform the President about the BOI request due to too much work.