MANILA, Philippines – “Nagulat na lang ako (I was surprised).”

Before a crowd of the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Special Action Force (SAF) troopers, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II on Sunday, February 1, said he only found out about an ill-fated police operation in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao hours after troops went in.

392 elite cops from the SAF were in Mamasapano to neutralize two “high value” targets, bomb maker Zulkifli Abdhir, better known as “Marwan,” and another terrorist, Abdul Basit Usman.

Marwan, among the US’ most wanted in Southeast Asia, was reportedly killed during the operation but it came at a price: 44 of the PNP SAF’s elite troops were killed during an encounter with fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). Several civilians also reportedly died during the operation, while 16 SAF troopers were wounded. A total of at least 68 are said to have died.

Top government officials — among them Roxas and PNP OIC Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina – were supposedly left in the dark in the high-level operation. Espina only found out at 5 am January 25, hours after SAF troopers entered the area. Roxas was informed after Espina.

Roxas was in Zamboanga with President Benigno Aquino III and other top government officials, following a car bomb blast in the city when he found out about the Mamasapano encounter.

PNP is still investigating the operation through a Board of Inquiry, while the MILF is conducting its own probe. At least 17 MILF died during the clash.

The Senate, meanwhile, is set to conduct its own probe into the incident. Roxas is among the government officials who have been invited to testify.

Would things be different?

Turning emotional at times during his speech and dialogue with SAF troops, Roxas promised the probe would be thorough and transparent, adding that he wanted to find the truth as well.

The Interior chief said he has spent sleepless nights thinking about the Mamasapano encounter.

“Sa personal ko na puso at kaisipan, interesado ako sa Board of Inquiry dahil maraming bumabagabag sa akin. Kung nalaman ko ba ito, may magagawa ba ako? May maitutulong ba ako?” he told troops, some of whom were classmates of those who died.

(I’m interested in the Board of Inquiry because a lot of things are bothering me. Had I known about the operation, would I have been able to do something? Would I have been able to contribute?)

Roxas said that although he was no expert in combat, had he known he would have consulted those who did – including Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. Roxas has administrative oversight of the PNP as National Police Commission chairman.

Chain of command

PNP SAF acting commander Chief Superintendent Noli Taliño, during a eulogy for the 44 on January 28, himself admitted feeling guilty over the botched operation.

Police officials earlier told Rappler that it was not unusual for some top officials to be kept in the dark when it came to high-level operations. But at the very least, he said, the PNP chief should have known.

The political consequences of the operation may also have necessitated the involvement of Roxas.

The MILF and the Philippine government are at the last stages of a peace pact that would lead to the establishment of a new autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao.

Although the full details of the bloody operation remain unclear, what’s sure is that reinforcements were unable to help the two SAF groups – members of the 84th seaborne battalion and the 5th special action battalion – during the firefight.

Troopers were able to ask for help by daybreak, but it was too late for government troops to enter the area by then. One junior officer, Senior Inspector Michael Melloria, asked Roxas why the government was unable to send help.

Military sources earlier told Rappler it was simply too late for them to send in help and doing so would have endangered their men too. Aquino said the same during his public address. – Rappler.com