Inihayag ni Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas na iba’t ibang mga impormasyon ang natanggap ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino III hinggil sa nangyaring operasyon sa Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
“The President asked some questions in the nature kung ano ba ang nangyayari. PNoy was getting in other reports that are conflicting with each other,” ayon kay Roxas.
Inamin naman ni dating Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Madrid Purisima na siya ang nagsabi kay Pangulong Aquino, sa pamamagitan ng text ganap na 5:45 umaga pa lang noong Enero 25, na napatay na si Zulfikfli bin Hir, alyas Marwan, at may isang SAF na nasugatan sa engkuwentro.
Iginiit ni Roxas na wala siyang alam sa operasyon kaya nagtanong siya kay PNP Officer-in-Charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina kung ano ang nangyayari.
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Sa nabanggit na pagdinig, sinabi rin ni Purisima kay Pangulong Aquino na suportado ang Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) ng military kahit na sinabi ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) na hindi sila makapasok dahil tubigan ang lugar.
Nilinaw naman ni AFP Western Mindanao Command Chief Lt. General Rustico Guerrero na sinabihan nila si Purisima na may mechanized brigade, infantry at artillery sa lugar.
“Hindi ko sinabi na may puputok na artillery, sinabi ko lang na available. If it was said earlier, [we could have prepared and provide it for them]. But there was no coordination made at my level. Wala kaming complete picture of what’s happening,” ayon kay Guerrero.
Sina Roxas, Guerrero at ilang opisyal ng pamahalaan ay kasama ni Pangulong Aquino sa Zamboanga City.
Iginiit naman ni Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Policy Evan Garcia na walang partisipasyon ang Amerika sa operasyon.
“In our own discussions with the US, we have ascertained from our own discussions that the plan and the execution of the operation were 100-percent Filipino,” ayon kay Garcia.
Sinabi naman ni Senator Vicente Sotto III na kailangan ang unified police and military command para maiwasang maulit ang insidente.
“After hearing the issues at hand, I am convinced that we need a unified armed forces and police command under DND (Department of National Defense). The present command structure is divided and the result is Mamasapano,” ayon kay Sotto.
