Aquino’s Responsibility

Who is Really to Blame?

There is a reason as to why our systems work under the design of a chain of command: that is to ensure a streamline flow of orders and execution whose powers of authority are coming from the top to the bottom, which, in our present-day context is shouldered primarily by the president, Noynoy Aquino – the top power of this so-called chain of command – and the lower units of power, Mar Roxas, et al. 

This is not a government held in power by a single individual, however. Our government is designed in such a way that it is composed of “powers-of-authority” other than the president whose existences are there for a reason: that is, to provide additional heads of authority together with the higher-most but whose power structure is set in a hierarchy. 

Basically, every powers from up-down structure of the government must be in full coordination with one another, not just in a secrecy of few, and is basically the essence of the chain-of-command which has been the power structure that has been in govern to us since the very first government was founded and began. It is not without its flaws, however, yet is something that has worked well thus far.

 Mamasapano Massacre is Aquino’s Responsibility

In the morning of January 25, the President communicated details and orders of Operation Exodus to suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima and Special Action Force commander Getulio Napenas. In doing so, he was in clear violation of the PNP’s chain of command. 

The Board of Inquiry’s report supported this but stated that it is the President’s prerogative to break this chain within reason. What the BOI failed to specify, however, was the motive for Aquino’s actions and whether this motive is within reason.

This violation contributed to the death of 67 individuals, 44 of which were Special Action Force command officers of the PNP. Since then, the President has heavily placed blame on Napenas while giving an inaccurate description of Purisima’s inclusion to Oplan Exodus, despite his suspension.

Aquino only decided to take responsibility after his approval and trust ratings were revealed to be at an all-time low. 

Even so, he has yet to apologize for what happened. 

The President should be held accountable for actions that resulted into unspeakable loss now suffered by the entire nation. Should he be allowed to regain the people’s trust, or is it time for him to be subjected to an impeachment trial?

The “Mis-encounter” that Killed 62

It has been a while now since the mainstream media brought us news from the south whereby 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were slaughtered in a clash initially guised as a “misencounter” with the joint forces of Muslim rebels, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), but was actually a result (or casualty) of an operation called Oplan Exodus which aims to capture two of US’s most wanted terrorists namely Zulkifli Abdhir (alias Marwan) and Abdul Basit Usman. Both of whom are believed to be an affiliate to Jemaah Islamiyah, who are also both high-ranking and improvised explosives experts.

The said operation was in an alleged operation with the US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation and Army Special Forces which took place in Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25, 2015, Sunday. The result of which led to the death of a total of 62 individuals, 44 of which coming from the government’s Special Action Force.

Although skirmishes such as this “incident” is not uncommon in a predominantly Muslim south since the birth of the Muslim rebellion, whose issue is present to this day. The clash, now deemed as the “Mamasapano Incident,” is something that may not have existed if not for the recklessness that may have started from our very own government’s higher ups themselves, with special mention of the Command-in-Chief, which also happens to be the President. This is in consideriation to the fact that there was and is an ongoing peace process between the government itself and the Muslim rebels in an attempt to settle a dispute that lasted for generations, and possibly generations more, if not settled.

This ongoing war between the government and the Muslim rebels has benefited no one thus far but rather only costed the lives of many brave individuals whose only difference are the principles they believed in and are fighting for.

Alas, however, in an apparent show of improper coordination of those figures within the chain-of-command, an “incident” occured that has costed of not only few, but 62 valuable lives, especially to those families they left behind, whose occurence may have been prevented if proper execution of the chain-of-command has been practiced. Who really is to blame at this point? The figures within the chain-of-command, of course.