Breaking News: PNoy Bears Responsibility for Mamasapano Massacre — Senate Panel

President Benigno Aquino III is held responsible for the results of the Mamasapano operation for allowing the then suspended Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima to be involved in facilitating the mission to arrest suspected terrorists in alleged territory of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

This is according to the Senate report chaired by Sen. Grace Poe who heads the Senate inquiry over the Mamasapano clash.

Last January 25, forty-four PNP elite force were killed in the reportedly “misencounter” with the MILF and its splinter group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) after the PNP-Special Action Force killed Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Poe said the President “must bear responsibility for giving assent to and failing to prevent the unlawful exercise of official functions by Purisima in connection with Oplan Exodus.”

According to GMA News Online report, the senator presented the findings of the committee report to the media on Tuesday afternoon.

“It is beyond doubt that the President was fully aware that Purisima was preventively suspended by the Ombudsman on 4 December 2014, and that Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina was designated Officer-in-Charge of the PNP,” Senator Grace Poe was quoted saying Tuesday.

Poe added that the President himself admitted that all the communication regarding Oplan Exodus emanating from him to then Special Action Force Getulio Napeñas Jr, and vice-versa, was being coursed through then suspended Purisima.

“The President assented to Purisima’s unlawful exercise of official functions, and continued to communicate with Purisima in regard the Oplan Exodus,” Poe said in GMA News Online report.

The Senate inquiry looked into the Jan. 25 incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao which led to the death of 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force troopers, who were on a mission to arrest high-profile terrorists.

Last week, the PNP Board of Inquiry published its report online evaluating the President’s participation over the botched operation.

Source: GMA News Online