MANILA, Philippines - Charges of graft and usurpation of authority have been filed with the Office of the Ombudsman against resigned Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima and sacked Special Action Force (SAF) chief Getulio Napeñas for their role in the deadly operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.
In a 15-page criminal complaint, former Iloilo congressman Augusto Syjuco Jr. said Purisima violated Section 13 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act when he took charge of Oplan Exodus while under suspension.
The complaint against Napeñas stemmed from his following orders from a suspended officer. The ombudsman ordered Purisima suspended for six months last Dec. 4 over separate corruption charges.
In the Mamasapano operation, SAF commandos managed to kill one of their terrorist targets – Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan – but lost 44 of their own at the hands of guerrillas belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
“As many claimed, Purisima not only knew of the operation, but actually controlled and directed the operations, despite his being currently suspended from duty,” the charge sheet read.
Syjuco said President Aquino assigned Purisima to lead Oplan Exodus without the knowledge of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II.
PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director Leonardo Espina was also kept out of the loop.
“On this point alone, it may well be said that Aquino considered Purisima as still the ‘de facto PNP chief’ in assigning to him the sensitive mission, despite his suspended status,” the complaint read.
He said there was “overwhelming evidence” that Purisima ran the Mamasapano operations.
“No advisory ‘palusot’ (alibi) can save Purisima. His attempted distinction, as a lame excuse, with nary a shame, between an ‘order’ and an ‘advice’ is one for the books, and that he was allegedly not issuing orders, but merely giving advice,” he said. He called Purisima’s excuse “completely absurd and incredulous.”
“For Purisima, it is clear that he acted as the police chief and directed a legitimate police operation despite his effective suspension,” Syjuco said.
“For Napeñas, it is also clear that he took his direction and orders from suspended Purisima who had no authority over him whatsoever, and that Purisima was clearly not his direct superior,” he pointed out.
He said the “fraudulent acts” of the two officials “wasted away” SAF troopers and caused “damage or chaos” to the PNP and the military.
He said a “fraudulent error of such enormity cannot be acceptable nor tolerable in any organized society.”
Philstar
