Poe to Aquino: Appoint ‘honest, capable’ PNP chief

MANILA, Philippines – After the controversies surrounding now resigned police chief Alan Purisima, Senator Grace Poe urged President Benigno Aquino III to appoint a successor who has integrity.

Poe and other lawmakers commended Aquino for accepting the resignation of his close friend following the deadly January 25 encounter between elite cops and Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The chief executive made the announcement in an address to the nation Friday night, February 6.  

“It is an affirmation and recognition of the [police] organization’s immediate need for a new honest and capable leader, now more than ever,” Poe said in response to Aquino’s speech. 

The chairperson of the Senate public order committee, Poe will lead the Senate probe into the Mamasapano clash starting Monday, February 9.

Poe earlier said that despite Purisima’s resignation, he still confirmed his attendance in the Senate inquiry. “Nothing has changed.” 

After Aquino’s speech, Purisima said in an exclusive interview with GMA7 that he provided the “intelligence packet” for the operation to arrest Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir known as Marwan. He, however, denied ordering the operation, and making the decision not to coordinate it with the top police and military brass. 

The Ombudsman suspended Purisima in December over corruption allegations, and the suspension was in effect during the operation. 

In Aquino’s address, the commander in chief confirmed reports he accepted Purisima’s resignation, admitting that they have deep personal ties dating back to the presidency of his mother, the late Corazon Aquino.

Poe said she welcomed Aquino’s decision “to transcend his personal ties and conviction.” 

“I am confident that this is a positive step in the right direction to uplift the morale of our police force,” the senator added. 

Senator Francis Escudero also gave Aquino credit for putting the interest of the Philippine National Police (PNP) above “personal friendship and preferences,” but pointed out that Aquino still did not appoint a permanent replacement.

“I urge him to appoint one at the soonest,” Escudero said.

Escudero, Poe, and Senate President Franklin Drilon have been calling on Aquino to appoint a permanent PNP chief to ensure stability in the organization, and to avoid confusion of having a suspended leader and an officer-in-charge, Leonardo Espina.

The Mamasapano clash is the biggest crisis to hit Aquino’s presidency, and threatens to derail his government’s peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The operation to arrest Marwan led to the death of 44 elite cops, at least 17 MILF members, and at least 7 civilians. Aquino admitted to knowing beforehand of the plan, but evaded questions on whether or not he gave the go signal for the operation. 

‘Send tougher message to MILF’

Escudero responded to what Aquino called in his speech a “warning and reminder” to the MILF: to surrender escaped Filipino terrorist Abdul Basit Usman, to cooperate with the government to ensure his arrest, or to step aside to allow law enforcement authorities to get the militant.

The President also told the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the government peace panel, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure justice for the slain 44 cops. Aquino earlier ordered the department to investigate the clash for the purpose of filing cases against the perpetrators.  

Escudero said: “I would have wanted [the President] to send a clearer and tougher message to the MILF and to have given definite instructions to OPAPP, the [peace] panel, and the DOJ in so far as ensuring that justice is exacted from those who brutally and mercilessly killed and massacred the 44 SAF members.”

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, an Aquino ally, said he was satisfied with the President’s 3rd speech on the incident.

“Those are the words the people are expecting from their Commander in Chief. I only hope that everybody gets back on point after this, particularly, the search for the perpetrators of the Mamasapano carnage,” Trillanes said.

‘Who ordered operation?’

The Senate investigation is the first probe to be conducted in view of the public.

In an interview Friday afternoon, Poe said the goal of the inquiry is to find out who really ordered the operation, what were the operational lapses, and the trail of documents used in the planning.

On the MILF side, Poe said the questions include:

• Have they identified who were part of the clash?
• Do they know where Usman is?
• What will they do to show sincerity in the peace talks?
• What is the MILF’s relationship with the breakway group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF?)?

“It’s said that the BIFF and MILF live near each other and many of them are relatives. [Reports] say Marwan was just around the MILF camp but because of the culture of pintakasi, when you attack one group, they will help each other because that is their tradition after years of violence. That is how they help each other. We should understand culture and mitigating circumstances as well,” Poe said. 

Poe added that she aims to hold only two to 3 hearings to be able to wrap up the probe and file a partial committee report by the time Congress adjourns session in March.

Poe’s office said the confirmed guests in Monday’s hearing are:

1.     Purisima

2.     OPAPP Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles

3.     Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin

4.     DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima

5.     GPH-Ad Hoc Joint Action Group chair Brigadier General Manolito Orense

6.     GPH-Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities chair Brigadier General Carlio Galvez Jr

7.     GPH peace panel chair Miriam Coronel Ferrer

8.     Defense Undersecretary Natalio Ecarma III

9.     Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujiv Hataman

10. Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr

11. Philippine Army 6^th Infantry Division Commander MGen Edmundo Pangilinan

12. Lt Gen Rustico Guerrero, Western Mindanao Command

13. Professor Julkipli Wadi, dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. 

– Rappler.com