Bayan Muna Partylist representatives said the National Police’s Board of Inquiry (BOI) failed to pursue the liability of President Benigno Aquino III and suspended National Police Chief, Alan Purisima.
“While, the BOI report contains facts that are already disclosed to the public, it fails to put the main burden of accountability on the most responsible for the operation who is Pres. Aquino himself,” said Rep. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate.
“It is obvious that the BOI deliberately understated Aquino’s direct responsibility of illegally authorizing Purisima to act as PNP chief during his suspension and allowing unlawful US involvement in the police operation. When Aquino broke the chain of command, he has taken direct and command responsibility over Gen. Napenas, SAF’s and AFP’s actions, inactions and failures,” the two solons said.
Bayan Muna said it is very questionable why the BOI did not get the President’s statement or testimony “when there are a number of questions they should have raised including why Gen. Purisima was reporting directly to Pres. Aquino on Oplan Exodus during his time of suspension, and why Pres. Aquino lied on national TV on Purisimas’s involvement in the Mamasapano operations”.
“As expected the extent that the BOI can go is to go after Gen. Purisima but it has pinned most of the blame on Gen. Napeñas but understated Pres. Aquino’s responsibility,” said Colmenares.
Zarate said the failure of the BOI report prods them to push for the immediate resumption of the Congress Mamasapano probe.
