MANILA (Updated) -- President Benigno Aquino III "deliberately hid and was hiding" himself behind then suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima to escape liability for the death of 44 policemen in the Mamasapano bloodbath, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile said at Senate hearing on Wednesday.
"To shield himself from any accountability and responsibility, President Aquino deliberately hid or was hiding himself behind PDG Purisima," Enrile said when Senate reopened its investigation on the incident.
The opposition senator said Aquino, as head of the entire PNP, has direct and active participation on the bungled operation.
"President Aquino was actually intentionally and directly dealing with persons who before and at the time the Mamasapano gruesome massacre was not an active part of the command system of AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP," he added.
(Video by Ruth Abbey Gita/Sunnex)
The senator said he moved to reopen the investigation to give justice to 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers who were killed during the Oplan Exodus, a covert operation to neutralize bomb makers Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and Abdul Bassit Usman.
Enrile, a former top military official, said that he promised to SAF troopers to give justice to 44 of their colleagues who lost their lives in the line of duty on January 25, 2015 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
He said he also wanted the public to know that the government failed because of their "ineptness and lack of knowledge."
"During the execution of Oplan Exodus, President Aquino was fully aware of what was going on," Enrile said.
Malacanang, however, belied the allegations of Enrile.
"President Aquino had always acted responsibly and faced squarely all matters pertaining to the Mamasapano," Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters in a text message.
At the hearing, Purisima defended the President's role, saying Aquino only exercised his authority as Chief Executive and Commander In Chief.
Senator Teofisto Guingona III said Purisima had apparently misled the President during the implementation of Oplan Exodus.
Guingona said it was “unfair” to say that Aquino did not show any care to the SAF troopers who were engaged in a fire fight with Moro fighters.
"Remember, this is what the President knew, based on the text, that only 15 to 20 (individuals) were fighting against 160 (SAF commandos), plus provisions for other PNP and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) units to assist," Guingona, an ally of Aquino, said.
Guingona was referring to the information that was fed by Purisima to the President at the height of the operation.
While the fighting was ongoing, Purisima had informed the President that there was only one casualty from the government troops.
Guingona said there was no basis for the President "to be alarmed."
"The President, or any person for that matter, relies only upon what he knows, upon information fed to him. And what President Aquino only knew is that there's only one wounded, 15 to 20 (persons) were against the 160 police force. So in the mind of the President, the operation was going as planned, or was going alright," Guingona said.
"Try to put yourself in his place. There was one wounded, 15 to 20 adversaries, and 160 police force, plus (other supporting units). Would you be alarmed? I don’t think so. That’s why it is unfair to say that there was no concern on the part of the President,” the senator added.
Guingona also hit Purisima for giving "misleading" and "confusing" information to the President.
"He (Aquino) was not only misled as to the reality of the situation; the information was also confusing," he said.
"At this point in time, based on the information fed to him, there was no basis for the President to be alarmed," the senator added.
Purisima, however, defended himself and said that he did not mislead the President. (With SDR/Sunnex)