MANILA, Philippines - As Special Action Force (SAF) commandos were fighting their way out of a village in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in the afternoon of Jan. 25 after killing terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, their commander was getting a flurry of text messages, including one from an officer stating that they “hold” their position.
Based on text messages he presented to the body investigating the Mamasapano clash, then SAF commander Director Getulio Napeñas received one from team leader Supt. Hendrix Mangaldan, which read “Ando mga CCCH, ceasefire. Hold position.” CCCH stands for Coordinating Council for the Cessation of Hostilities.
The sacked SAF chief received the message at 1:39 p.m. of Jan. 25.
It was not clear if Mangaldan’s message had kept SAF support teams from mobilizing to reinforce their comrades fighting off guerrillas belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
At around that time, Napeñas was also informing then suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima, PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina and Army 6th Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan that more MILF fighters were besieging the trapped SAF commandos.
At 1:04 p.m., Napeñas sent a desperate message to Pangilinan and Espina asking for indirect fire support.
He also texted the location of the beleaguered commandos.
Espina forwarded Napeñas’ text to Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, who heads the military’s Western Mindanao Command based in Zamboanga City.
In one of the messages, at 1:24 p.m., Espina inquired: “Bakit may balitang 11 na patay sa SAF (Why is there a report of 11 SAF dead)?”
Napeñas said the report was unconfirmed, but there were wounded SAF commandos.
From various accounts, many of the 36 members of the 55th Special Action Company (SAC), which was the blocking force, were already dead at that time.
Purisima’s last text to Napeñas came at 1:27 p.m.: “Yung location na binigay mo kanina?”
At 1:33 p.m., Napeñas replied to Purisima: “Sir meron Army sa ground na puwede mag FO Sir.” It is not clear what FO means.
The Philippine Star
