Palace dodges Aquino liability in BOI report

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Palace dodges Aquino liability in BOI report
Instead, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte zeroes in on BOI conclusions on the failure of sacked Special Action Force (SAF) chief Police Director Getulio Napeñas to coordinate with the military

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Saturday, March 14, evaded questions on the report of the police Board of Inquiry (BOI) citing the lapses of President Benigno Aquino III in breaking the chain of command by allowing a suspended police chief to stay on top of a critical operation. 

A day after the 130-page report was released, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte instead sought to draw attention to the BOI conclusions on the failure of sacked Special Action Force (SAF) commander Director Getulio Napeñas to coordinate with the military.

Malinaw din naman ho doon sa BOI report na nagbigay po ng napakalinaw na utos ang ating Pangulong Aquino at sinabi ho niya kay Napeñas na ‘coordinate.’ ‘Di po ba? At malinaw din naman po doon sa mga naging findings ng BOI report na sinuway po ni SAF Commander Napeñas ‘yung mga utos ng Pangulong Aquino,” Valte said in an interview on state-run Radyo ng Bayan. 

(It is clear in the BOI report that President Aquino issued clear orders to Napeñas to coordinate, isn’t it? It is also clear in the findings of the BOI report that SAF commander Napeñas defied the orders of the President.)

Valte said Napeñas’ failure bungled the SAF operation. 

Kung bubusisiin mo ‘yung mga nakalagay doon sa BOI ay makikita natin na talagang lack of coordination ang naging problema dito sa buong operasyon na ito (If you scrutinize what was written in the BOI report, you will see that the problem in the entire operation was really lack of coordination),” said Valte.

The BOI was formed to investigate the death of 44 elite cops in an operation to hunt down international terrorist Zulkifli bin hir or “Marwan,” the bloodiest one-day police operation in the country’s recent history. 

Malacañang has received a copy of the BOI report but Valte could not confirm if  Aquino has read it. The report called “Oplan Exodus” an operation that was “defective from the beginning” and “badly executed.”

The BOI report zeroed in on the liabilities of the sacked SAF commander and  resigned police chief Director General Alan Purisima, who had no “power or authority” to take part in the operation while the suspension order of the Office of the Ombudsman was in effect. (READ: Police probers: Purisima acted without authority)

Aquino, however, ignored Purisima’s suspension and continued to get updates from him instead of Philippine National Police Officer-in-Charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina. (READ: Aquino bypassed chain of command)

Presidential prerogative

Valte stressed that it is the President’s “prerogative” to talk to any of his subordinates. 

Siguro i-point out lang natin na kahit ho ‘yung mismong BOI report, nilagay doon na prerogative ho ng Pangulo na kausapin ang kahit sinong subordinate niya. Isa po ‘yang importanteng pahayag mula naman ho doon sa BOI report,” Valte said.

(Perhaps we should point out that the BOI report itself acknowledged that it is the prerogative of the President to talk to any of his subordinates. It is an important conclusion made in the BOI report.)

The SAF had counted on critical assistance from the military, particularly artillery support to scare away hostile forces. The BOI report said Napeñas counted on Purisima to make the necessary coordination with the military, which is headed by his classmate at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). 

But the military was unable to provide the assistance on time. The BOI report said the delay was not only because of the SAF’s failure to coordinate on time but also because it put into consideration the peace process. 

The bungled SAF operation has  imperilled the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which has been abandoned by a few of its co-authors. Congress had planned to pass in March the BBL, which will implement agreements to expand the powers of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Napeñas told the BOI that Aquino did not raise concerns on how Oplan Exodus could put the peace agreement at risk. (READ: ‘Aquino didn’t given Napeñas guidance on peace deal‘)

Valte also dismissed continued calls for a separate Truth Commission to investigate the SAF operation. She said a Truth Commission may not succeed in erasing allegations of a government cover up because only the President may constitute the commission. – Rappler.com

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