THE Senate has subpoenaed the transcript of text messages between President Benigno Aquino III and resigned police chief Alan Purisima for Jan. 25, the day 44 police commandos died in a covert operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the Senate committee on public order, said the subpoena was issued to the president and chief executive of Smart Communications, Napoleon Nazareno, on Feb. 26.
The subpoena, she added, covered SMS conversations under the mobile number registered in Purisima’s name, for the period 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. of Jan. 25.
The record from Smart is aimed at confirming the veracity of the transcript submitted to the panel by Purisima, as requested by Senator Loren Legarda.
The subpoena was issued after the Senate concluded its investigation of the Mamasapano operation after five public hearings and five executive sessions.
Based on Purisima’s text messages, the President was informed of the operation as early as 5:45 a.m. but Aquino replied almost two hours later.
Purisima also updated Aquino about the ongoing fighting between the members of the Special Action Force and the Muslim fighters.
Interviewed over radio dzMM, Senate President Franklin Drilon confirmed that he signed the He said the Senate will use the transcripts from Smart to complete its committee report on the incident.
Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he needs the Senate findings, as well as the results of other investigations being conducted, before he can resume his panel’s hearings on the Bangasamoro Basic Law (BBL), the lynchpin in the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Marcos on Tuesday said President Aquino should explain why he broke the chain of command and created a situation that led to the loss of 44 police commandos in Mamasapano.
“What we want to know is what he did and why he did that. Why did he institute or use or create this informal, ill-defined chain of command that caused all the problems? Because that’s what caused the problems,” Marcos said.
Aquino has come under fire for allowing Purisima to head the covert operation despite his suspension on corruption charges. Purisima, in turn, ordered the SAF commander to keep the officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police Leonardo Espina, in the dark about the operation until the commandos had arrived at the target.
Marcos said it was not enough that Aquino trusted Purisima as a close friend, because he should have been taken out of the chain of command when he was suspended.
Instead of passing through the OIC, Aquino issued orders to Purisima, who in turn issued orders to the SAF commander, Getulio Napeñas, Marcos said.
The failure to follow the chain of command created the confusion that ensued during the operation in Mamasapano, Marcos added.