Philippine National Police – Special Action Forces (PNP-SAF) head Director Getulio Napeñas admitted during a Senate hearing on Monday that it was suspended PNP Chief Director Alan Purisima gave the go signal to launch the botched Mamasapano operation which cost the lives of the 44 PNP-SAF elite commandos.
For the past few hearings of the Senate, Gen. Napeñas repeatedly denied that he was getting orders from Purisima but during the hearing on Monday, February 23, 2015. Gen. Purisima is currently suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman over an allegedly anomalous courier contract.
The former PNP Chief, Gen. Purisima already resigned the post after the Mamasapano incident where the 44 SAF elite forces were killed by the combined MILF and BIFF operatives.
During the hearing Sen. Drilon noted that at 1:07 PM of January 23, Napeñas sent a text message to Purisima and recommended “to follow the secondary date as the additional personnel to be used are deployed in Tacloban for the Pope visit. More so, the primary date is too tight while we have a longer window on the secondary.”
Sen. Drilon also asked Napeñas what he meant by his text, the former PNP-SAF chief explained that since the visit of Pope Francis, he recommended that the Mamasapano operation be done instead on a later date – January 25 to 26, 2015.
The Senator added another question “That’s secondary date?” asked Drilon to which Napeñas answered “Yes.” Sen. Drilon also noted “And in that same text, you said ‘for your consideration and approval’ addressed to Purisima?”” the senator asked again. “Yes,” Napeñas said.