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We understand

March 27, 2015March 27, 2015 Ellen Leave a comment

President Aquino at the PNPA 2015 commencement exercises.

He couldn’t even mention the incident that he was asking the public for understanding.

In his speech at the commencement exercise of the Philippine National Police Academy’s Lakandula Class of 2015, the day after the nation marked the second month of the Mamasapano tragedy, President Aquino said, “Ikinalulungkot kong may mga pamilyang nawalan ng asawa, ama, kapatid, anak, dahil sa nangyari sa Mamasapano. Ikinalulungkot kong sa pagnanais kong bigyan ng espasyong magluksa ang mga makakakita, sa unang pagkakataon, ng nasawi nilang kaanak, ay may mga nag-isip na ako’y manhid at walang pakikiramay. Ang intensiyon ko noon ay makatulong sa paghilom. Ang gusto ko po sana, kapag may nagtanong ng “Ano ang nangyari? Bakit sila namatay? Ano na po ang mangyayari sa amin?” ay may dala na akong malinaw na sagot. Kung ang naging tugon ko sa mga katanungan ay “Hindi ko po alam,” paano ako makakatulong sa kanilang paghilom? Ikinalulungkot ko ring nadadamay ang ating usaping pangkapayapaan dahil sa sentimyentong naikakabit sa naging resulta ng Oplan Exodus. Sa bawat Pilipinong nabigo at nasaktan dahil sa mga pangyayaring kaugnay ng operasyong ito: Buong pagpapakumbaba kong hinihiling ang inyong pang-unawa. (It deeply saddens me that there are families who are now without a husband, a father, a brother, a son, because of what happened in Mamasapano. I am saddened by the fact that, despite my effort to give the families space to grieve, as they were to meet their fallen loved ones for the first time, some people found fault in this by calling me cruel or without regard for such loss. My intention was to help them heal. I wanted to have clear answers should I be asked, “What happened? Why did they die? What will happen to us now?” If my response was “I do not know,” how could I help hasten the healing? I am also saddened that our peace process has been affected by the sentiments connected to the result of Oplan Exodus. To every Filipino who has felt failure or has been hurt because of the events related to this operation: It is with the abiding humility that I ask for your deepest understanding.)”

We all know that he was referring o his much-denounced absence at the Villamor Air Base on Jan.29, 2016 when the remains of the 44 members of the Special Action Force arrived. He chose to be at the Mitsubishi Motors launch in Sta.Rosa, Laguna. Why couldn’t he say it?

Aquino at the Mitsubishi plant inauguration at Sta. Rosa, Laguna while bodies of 42 the fallen SAF arrive in Villamor Air Base.

I’m sorry Mr. President. I don’t buy this thing about wanting to give the families “space to grieve.”

You thought that the people’s outrage over the bungling of the Mamasapano operation would die down after a few days. You never imagined that it would last this long and that’s because of your post-tragedy actions and statements.

In the Pulse Asia survey conducted first week of March, eight of 10 Filipinos disagree with your choice of viewing the parade of Mitsubishi cars over the coffins of the Fallen 44.

You are only compelled to seek for the people’s “understanding” because your approval and trust ratings drastically dropped.

This is all about saving yourself and your presidency.

That’s what we understand.

Mar forgot to tell PNoy about BOI request

March 19, 2015March 19, 2015 Ellen Leave a comment

Police Director Benjamin Magalong, BOI-PNP head.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas forgot to tell President Aquino of the request Police Director Benjamin Magalong to interview him before the Board of Inquiry on the Mamasapaano tragedy released their report last March 13, ABS-CBN reported.

Mar Roxas. Photo from KickerDaily.

Magalong said he met with Aquino in Malacañang on Tuesday together with Roxas and Philippine National Police Officer-in-Charge Leonardo Espina.

He said Roxas also apologized for failing to inform the President about the BOI’s request to interview him regarding the Mamasapano mission.

“Binanggit din niya syempre yung issue na bakit hindi ko siya na-interview. At in-explain ko rin sa kanya na, inamin din naman ni Secretary [Roxas] na talagang sa dami ng trabaho nakalimutan na mabanggit kay Presidente at dapat na-remind ko sila,” he said.

It will be recalled that Presidential Spokesperson scored the BOI for not getting the side of the President before issuing the report.

It was reported here Monday that Magalong asked Roxas last March 9 to relay their request to Aquino for an interview.

Following is the report of ABS-CBN’s Jeff Canoy:

“President Aquino was hurt by the findings of the Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry on the Mamasapano incident, according to the BOI chairman who was summoned to Malacanang to meet with the President.
Police Director Benjamin Magalong, chairman of the BOI and head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said he met with President Aquino in Malacanang on Tuesday, just days after the PNP released the full BOI report on the Mamasapano incident.

Present during the meeting were Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and PNP Officer-in-Charge Leonardo Espina.

According to Magalong, the President was hurt by the BOI findings.

“Visibly nasaktan siya. President siya. Nasaktan siya sa naging report, makikita naman yun. Pero even then during that time talagang very calm siya, talagang cordial at maayos naman ang aming discussion,” he said.

The BOI report earlier said the chain of command of the PNP was violated after the President, suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima and Special Action Force commander Getulio Napenas deliberately failed to inform the PNP OIC about the Mamasapano mission by keeping the information to themselves.

It also said the President “gave the go-signal and allowed the execution of Oplan: Exodus after the concept of operations was presented to him by…Napenas.”

It said the President allowed Purisima to participate in the planning and execution of Oplan Exodus despite the latter’s suspension.

It also said the President exercised his prerogative to deal directly with Napenas instead of Espina. The report said the act of dealing with Napenas instead of PNP OIC Espina “bypassed the established PNP Chain of Command.”

Magalong said the President explained that he gave instructions to Purisima to coordinate the Mamasapano mission with PNP OIC Espina. This order was not followed.

He said the President also admitted that he expected full cooperation between the SAF and military forces in Mamasapano, not knowing that Napenas did not follow his order.

Magalong described the meeting as “no holds barred,” with all contentious issues discussed.

“Sa mga contentious issues na nabanggit ng Presidente, binanggit ko rin kay Presidente na we never mentioned that you violated the Chain of Command. We just said that you exercised your prerogative to talk directly to Gen. Napenas. Andun sa conclusion namin. Kung anong conclusion namin is statement of fact. That is a statement of fact,” he said.

Magalong said Secretary Roxas also apologized for failing to inform the President about the BOI’s request to interview him regarding the Mamasapano mission.

The BOI chairman said he regrets failing to interview President Aquino before issuing the final BOI report.
However, he also admitted that the results of the BOI investigation will not be changed much.

For now, Magalong said he is focused on going back to work as CIDG chief after finishing what he describes as the hardest investigation in his career.

“I’m glad it’s over. It’s time to move on, there are so many thing need to be done,” he said.

Poe to Aquino: Be a leader, tell the truth

March 18, 2015March 18, 2015 Ellen Leave a comment

Sen. Grace Poe reveals findings of Senate committee that investigated Mamasapano tragedy.

Reading President Aquino’s speech before the 2015 graduates of the Philippine Military Academy last Sunday, I got the impression that he is isolated from the real world outside Malacañang.

For how does one who has to suffer daily the monstrous Metro Manila traffic and the inefficiency of the MRT accept his painting of the country as a paradise and taking credit for this “accomplishment”: “At hindi naman sa pagbubuhat ng bangko, pero ngayon pa lang, masasabi nating higit na maganda ang kalagayan ng bansa kumpara sa ating dinatnan. Nilinis natin ang burukrasya, tinugis ang mga tiwali, pinasigla ang ekonomiya, at nagbukas tayo ng mga bagong pinto ng oportunidad para sa ating mga kababayan. (Not to be self-indulgent, but at this stage, we can truly say that our country’s situation is much better than we found it. We cleaned up the bureaucracy, pursued the corrupt, revitalized the economy, and opened new doors of opportunity for our countrymen.)”

Lawyer Vic Fornier was so pissed off, he commented in Facebook: “Mabagsakan siya sana ng bangko sa ulo niyang panot.(I wish the bench would fall on his bald head.) ”

President Aquino delivers speech at the 110th PMA commencement exercises.

Aquino slammed those who don’t believe that the Philippines is a paradise as playing deaf and blind. “Mga nagbubulag-bulagan at nagbibingi-bingihan lang ang hindi nakakaramdam sa malaking pagbabagong tinatamasa ng ating bayan. (Only those playing deaf and blind are those who have not felt the massive transformation our country is experiencing),” he said.

More than a third of the people in this country then is playing deaf and blind because the latest nationwide survey of Pulse Asia, conducted last week (March 1 to 7), showed that only 38 percent of Filipinos approved of what Aquino is doing, a huge 21 percent drop from the 59 percent approval rating he enjoyed November last year.

The survey was done more than a month after the Jan. 25 Mamasapano tragedy happened where 67 people were killed including 44 members of the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force, 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and five civilians including an eight-year old girl.

Malacañang earlier scored the report of the Board of Inquiry which the Philippine National Police created to investigate the Mamasapano tragedy for concluding that the President violated the chain-of-command while supervising Oplan Exodus.

Aquino’s approval rating plunges

The number of those who trust him also decreased from 56 percent last year to 36 percent this year.
“The Chain of Command in the PNP was violated. The President, the suspended CPNP Purisima and the former Director SAF Napeñas kept the information to themselves and deliberately failed to inform the OIC PNP and the SILG. The Chain of Command should be observed in running mission operations, “the BOI, headed by Police Director Benjamin Magalong, stated.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda disagreed saying that there was no violation of the chain of command because the PNP is a civilian organization and as Chief Executive, Aquino exercises full and absolute control over every official in the organization.

Unfortunately for Aquino, the Senate Committee on Public Order headed by Sen. Grace Poe, which conducted hearings on the tragedy, believes Aquino should be held accountable for the “massacre.”
Here’s the Grace Poe committee’s damning report:

Aquino’s trust ratings sinks

“The President must bear responsibility for giving assent to and failing to prevent the unlawful
exercise of official functions by PDGPurisima in connection with Oplan Exodus.
It is beyond doubt that the President was fully aware that PDG Purisima was preventively suspended by the Ombudsman on 4 December 2014, and that PDDG Espina was designated Officer-in-Charge of the PNP on 12 December 2014. Yet, the President: 1.Allowed PDG Purisima to join the 9 January 2015 meeting at the Bahay Pangarap, where a sensitive and classified PNP operation was being discussed; 2.Instructed PDG Purisima to coordinate Oplan Exodus with the AFP; 3. Communicated exclusively with PDG Purisima in regard the progress of Oplan Exodus on25 January 2015; and 4. Gave instructions to PDG Purisima as to the conduct of Oplan Exodus on 25 January 2015, as when the President sent PDG Purisima a text message reading, “Basit should not get away.”

Poe challenged Aquino to show leadership.

The committee report said: “At this crucial time, it is imperative that the President display unquestionable leadership, be forth right and candid with our people, accept responsibility for all decisions he makes as President, and admit the mistakes he made along the way.”

BOI requested for interview with Aquino

March 15, 2015March 15, 2015 Ellen Leave a comment

It is not true that the Board of Inquiry did not try to get the side of President Aquino on the Jan. 25 Mamasapano tragedy that claimed 68 lives including 44 of the country’s elite police commandos, 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and six civilians, including an eight-year old girl.

DILG Secretary Mar Roxas accepts from PNP Board of Inquiry Chairman PDir Benjamin Magalong the copies of the report on the Mamasapano clash during the official turnover on Friday, March 13, 2015.

Last March 9, BOI head Police Director Benjamin Magalong told the Interior Secretary Mar Roxas that they would like to interview the President and the latter promised to relay the request to Aquino.

This took place when Magalong requested Roxas for an extension to submit the report.

Magalong never got a notification from Roxas on Malacañang’s reply to his request. He submitted the BOI report last Friday.

Malacañang is not happy with the report of the BOI that investigated the Jan. 25 Mamasapano tragedy of which found that the Chain of Command in the Philippine National Police was violated and one of the culprits was President Aquino.

“The President, the suspended CPNP Purisima and the former Director SAF Napeñas kept the information to themselves and deliberately failed to inform the OIC PNP and the SILG. The Chain of Command should be observed in running mission operations,” the report said.

The other items in the Report’s Executive Summary focusing on the President’s role in the tragedy that claimed 68 lives including 44 of the country’s elite police commandos, 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and six civilians, state: “1. The President gave the go-signal and allowed the execution of Oplan Exodus after the concept of operations (CONOPS) was presented to him by Director of Special Action Force (SAF) Police Director Getulio Napeñas.

“2. The President allowed the participation of the suspended Chief Philippine National Police (CPNP) Police Director General Alan Purisima in the planning and execution of the Oplan Exodus despite the suspension order of the Ombudsman.

“3. The President exercised his prerogative to deal directly with Napeñas instead of Officer-in-Charge of the PNP (OIC-PNP) Police Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina. While the President has the prerogative to deal directly with any of his subordinates, the act of dealing with Napeñas instead of OIC-PNP Espina bypassed the established PNP Chain of Command. Under the Manual for PNP Fundamental Doctrine , the Chain of Command runs upward and downward. Such Manual requires the commander to discharge his responsibilities through a Chain of Command.”

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda

Lacierda slammed the BOI report saying it “ introduced innuendos and resorted to speculations.”

He disagreed with BOI’s stand on the applicability of the chain-of-command doctrine saying the PNP is a civilian institution under the Executive Branch of government. “The President, as Chief Executive, exercises full and absolute control and supervision over every official in that branch,” he said.

Lacierda faults the BOI for not getting Aquino’s side. “The BOI in its efforts could have asked the President to clarify matters. The President would have answered any questions they may have had. But no official request was made. Instead, it introduced innuendos and resorted to speculations to reach some of its conclusions. This is all the more unfortunate because the head of the BOI, together with other senior officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) was present in a meeting with the President where Police Director Benjamin Magalong had the opportunity to ask the President questions or seek further clarifications. As head of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Police Director Magalong should be particularly aware of the need for due process to be observed.”

Lacierda must be referring to the March 4 meeting of the President with SAF officials at Bagong Diwa in Taguig City which focused on a review of the operations conducted to arrest the two terrorists who were the target of the Jan. 25 Oplan Exodus in order to improve future operations and other related concerns of SAF.

Is Lacierda serious about expecting Magalong to disrespect the President and do an ambush interview with him in the midst of a meeting with top PNP officials?

Lacierda, confirming the President’s complete control of Oplan Exodus, which he himself narrated in his meeting with religious leaders last Monday, said, “The President therefore left nothing to chance. His direct orders to Purisima if obeyed, would have ensured that the OIC Chief PNP would not have been kept in the dark. However, the President was disobeyed by Purisima.”

Lacierda said Aquino himself instructed the suspended Chief PNP, Alan Purisima to inform the OIC Chief PNP Leonardo Espina of Oplan Exodus.

Using Lacierda’s argument that Aquino is not covered by PNP’s doctrine of chain-of-command,because he “exercises full and absolute control and supervision over every official in that branch”, why didn’t he himself inform Espina? Why did he have to course it through Purisima, who had no business participating in PNP operations because of his suspension?

Aquino dealing with the suspended PNP chief all throughout the operations, as shown by text messages between the two, was an anomaly. He disrespected not only Espina but the whole PNP organization. Binastos ang PNP.

Magalong, by coursing his request for an interview with the President through the DILG secretary, showed respect for the Office of the President.Magalong was following protocol. He is with the PNP, which Roxas administers and controls as chairman of the National Police Commission.

The BOI never got a reply from Aquino nor from Roxas. Is Lacierda’s statement a case of story-telling-a lie which we had aplenty the past one and half months or a breakdown in communication in Malacañang?

Either way, it does not speak well of the current state of the Aquino presidency.

Senators asked the wrong question

February 15, 2015February 15, 2015 Ellen Leave a comment

Sen. Grace Poe chairs hearing on Mamasapano carnage.

It was President Aquino who informed Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang and the rest of the presidential party in Zamboanga on the Mamasapano debacle on Jan. 25, a source close to Malacañang said.

That’s why in the hearings in the Senate and the House of Representatives the three and Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, chief of Western Mindanao Command said they didn’t inform Aquino of the dawn carnage that left 44 members of the Special Action Force dead when they were with him throughout the day.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Defense Secretarty Voltaire Gazmin say they didn’t tell the President even if they were getting reports of the debacle.

They all looked and sounded stupid or they thought the senators and the public were stupid to believe what they were saying. Gazmin said that when he learned of the encounter at 11 a.m., he felt no urgency to tell the President. Besides, it was a police matter, he said.

Catapang also said he did not inform the President. Roxas said he didn’t realize the urgency of the incident.
Only suspended Police Chief Alan Purisima did not take the “I did not tell him” line. He asked that he be given time because he needs “to seek clearance from the President to answer the question.”

Suspended PNP Chief says he needs permission from the President to answer the question if he told the President about the Mamasapano ‘incident’ and what time.

That’s because it was Purisima who informed the President of the debacle before he left for Zamboanga that day. He arrived there past 10 a.m.

This information surfaced when I remarked to a friend/source that it was obvious that everybody is covering up for the President, who should be made accountable for the death of the 44 SAF commandos.

The source said, “The senators were asking the wrong question. They asked Mar, Gazmin, and Catapang when they told the President. The persons they were asking did not inform the President about the Mamasapano incident. It was the President who informed them.”

Oh.

So that was it. Roxas, Gazmin, and Catapang were not lying. Perhaps if they were asked the right question, something like , “Did the President inform you or mention to you anything about an operation against two high-value terrorists?,” they would have answered truthfully. Perhaps.

Let’s see if they will be truthful when the senators ask them the right question in the next hearing.
***

The President tells SAF he knew of the ‘incident’ early.

This is what the President told members of the SAF at Camp Bagong Diwa early hours of Jan. 30 which confirms that he knew of the Mamasapano tragedy early:

“Bago pa lang sinabihan na ako ng resulta kay Marwan.

“Nang sinasayasat naming ang nangyari sa Zamboanga, dumadating ang mga report. May mga imbestigasyon na ginagawa. Gusto nga natin malaman paano tayo makasiguro na hindi tayo magkaroon ng ganung sakuna, ganitong insidente, ganitong kaso at least na napakabigat para sa inyo.

“Malaking bilang talaga sa mga Pilipino damang- dama talaga ang nangyari sa inyong mga kasamahan.”