MANILA - Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile on Wednesday lost his cool after officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) once again pointed fingers at each other as to who is responsible for the botched anti-terror operation in Mamasapano on January 25, 2015.
At the continuation of the Senate's investigation into the Mamasapano encounter, former SAF chief Getulio Napeñas reiterated that he had asked for artillery support from the Army's 6th Infantry Division Commander Major General Edmundo Pangilinan as his men were being attacked by Moro rebels and armed groups. He said Pangilinan refused to help.
Napeñas said more lives could have been saved had the AFP provided artillery support to the SAF troopers, 44 of whom died in the operation.
Pangilinan, for his part, explained that the AFP follows the "doctrine" that before using artillery, they should first know the exact location not only of the enemies, but also of the friendly troops as well as the civilians in the area to prevent any collateral damage.
Napeñas then insisted that he had provided the AFP the exact location of the SAF troopers. Pangilinan maintained that the former SAF chief provided incomplete information.
Senator Gregorio Honasan II then admonished the two, saying they are "exposing the weaknesses of our internal security systems to unwarranted intervention" on national television.
But Enrile, for his part, said this is precisely the reason why he asked for the reopening of the probe: to expose to the public the kind of military the country has now.
"My goodness, General Pangilinan. In a running battle, is that the way you're going to handle a critical situation? If this is war, my God, the country will be in a terrible peril," Enrile said.
"If you are the commander, a commander is supposed to know his area of operation like knowing the palm of his hand. And you have to innovate, you have to be flexible, not doctrinal," he said.
"This is a wake-up call for the country. That shows that there is no leader handling the entire system in a critical moment. Nagtuturuan kayo eh! Eh sasalakayin tayo ng Tsina, ganyan ang gagawin niyo? Male-leche ang buong Pilipinas, hindi lang kayo! My God."
Senator Francis Escudero, likewise, said that no one from the PNP and the AFP wants to admit their shortcomings.
"Tila puro may command lahat ng taong kaharap natin, pero walang umaako ng responsibilidad," he said. "Ang pinaka-hinahanap lang siguro ng ating mga kababayan mula sa inyo ay may umamin man lang na may pagkukulang kayo."
ANC, January 27, 2016
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