MANILA, Philippines – For the 4th straight time this week, officials from the government’s security sector will face legislators trying to make sense of a police operation that killed a Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist and at least 68 others, including 44 elite cops.

On Thursday, February 12, the Senate resumes ins probe into “Oplan Exodus,” a January 25 operation conducted by close to 400 troopers from the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Special Action Force (SAF).

Exodus targeted and killed bombmaker Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as “Marwan.”

But during troopers’ extraction from the marshy areas of Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, they were caught in a gun battle with fighters from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Of 73 men from two SAF companies – the 55th Special Action Company and the 84th Seaborne Company – only 29 came out alive.

On Thursday, officials from the PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Cabinet, and the MILF will take turns answering questions from senators on the botched extraction operation.

One key, if not interesting, addition to Thursday’s hearing is Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago who skipped the last two hearings due to health reasons. (READ: Miriam: Determine command responsibility over Mamasapano)

In a letter submitted to Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs chair Senator Grace Poe, Defensor asked for “extra time” to interpellate.

“My reason is that other senators who already interpellated in the first two hearings will be participating for the third time. By contrast, I will have only one opportunity because of my illness. Because of cancer pains, I will be unable to return to the hearing if it is further extended,” she said.

The hearings – two before the Senate and a 3rd before the House of Representatives – have so far revolved around 3 issues:

Coordination, or the lack of it. The SAF leadership decided to only coordinate with the AFP “time on target” or only after troopers entered Mamasapano.

The lack of prior coordination made it difficult – or downright impossible – for military forces to send in help on time.

The morning of January 25, neither military forces nor the local government of Mamasapano had a clear idea of what was going on. (READ: Mamasapano: AFP unaware of 2nd SAF team)

Sacked SAF commander Police Director Getulio Napeñas said they chose to limit knowledge about “Oplan Exodus” to avoid leaks. (READ: Why SAF didn’t trust military)

The chain of command. There are differences in opinion over whether the concept of a “chain of command” all the way to the President applies to the PNP, a civilian organization, but one thing’s clear: The PNP’s top cop, OIC Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, was kept out of the loop in the operation.

Also left in the dark was Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, a close ally of the President who was briefed on the operation. (READ: Aquino, Purisima were at final ‘Oplan Exodus’ briefing)

In contrast, a “focal person” in Exodus was former PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima who, at the time, was serving a preventive suspension order over a corruption case. Purisima was even present during a briefing with the President at his official residence in Malacañang.

The Senate has yet to press Purisima on the Bahay Pangarap meeting but legislators from the House of Representatives tried to do this on Wednesday. The former PNP chief, however, declined to answer queries citing “executive privilege.”

The President has yet to clarify his role in “Oplan Exodus” as well.

On peace and the MILF. In danger of being the newest casualty as a result of the Mamasapano clash is a peace deal between the government and the MILF which would pave the way for a new autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao.

Since the clash, at least two senators have withdrawn their support for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. At the House of Representatives, hearings on the proposed law have been postponed pending a probe into the bloody operation.

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr, chairman of the Senate committee on local government, said the law “is in coma.” The peace deal was to be the lasting legacy of the Aquino administration.

Lawmakers and the public are now questioning the sincerity of the MILF in talking peace.

Espina, in emotional speeches before both houses of Congress, lamented the “overkill” of his men at the hands of the “other side.”

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, meanwhile, implied that the MILF is actually a terrorist group and accuses it of coddling Marwan. It’s a claim the MILF and government peace panel negotiators and officials deny.

On Thursday too, MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal is expected to finally make an appearance after skipping congressional hearings 3 times in a row.

The rest of the invited resource persons are as follows:

1. SEC. VOLTAIRE GAZMIN, Department of National Defense (DND)
2. SEC. MAR ROXAS, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
3. SEC. LEILA DE LIMA, Department of Justice (DOJ)
4. SEC. TERESITA QUINTOS DELES, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)
5. PROF. MIRIAM CORONEL-FERRER, Chairperson, Government Peace Negotiating Panel for talks with the MILF 
6. BGEN. CARLITO GALVEZ JR, Chairperson, Government of the Philippines – Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (GPH-CCCH)
7. BGEN MANOLITO ORENSE, Chair, GPH-Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG)
8. MAJOR CARLOS SOL, Secretariat Head, GPH-Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) & Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG)
9. MR. MOHAGHER IQBAL, Chief Negotiator for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
10. MR. RASID LADIASAN, Chair, MILF CCCH
11. USEC. NATALIO C. ECARMA III, Anti-Terrorism Council of the Philippines, Department of National Defense (DND)
12. GOV. MUJIV S. HATAMAN, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
13. PDG. ALAN LM PURISIMA, Philippine National Police
14. PDDG. LEONARDO ESPINA, Officer in Charge
15. PDIR JUANITO B. VAÑO, Directorate for Logistics
16. PDIR CHARLES T. CALMA JR, Directorate for Intelligence
17. PDIR RICARDO C. MARQUEZ, Directorate for Operations
18. PDIR GETULIO PASCUAL NAPEÑAS, PNP-SAF
19. PCSUPT. NOLI TALIÑO, OIC, PNP-SAF
20. PCSUPT NOEL O DELOS REYES, Regional Commander, PNP-ARMM
21. PSSUPT NOEL PONLA ARMILLA, OIC-RD, ARMM
22. PSSUPT FERNANDO H. MENDEZ JR, Director for Intelligence Group
23. PSSUPT ROBERT T. RODRIGUEZ, Comptroller Officer
24. PSSUPT RODELIO B JOCSON, Maguindanao Provincial Office
25. PSUPT RAYMOND TRAIN, PNP-SAF
26. PO2 CHRISTOPHER LALAN, PNP-SAF Survivor
27. GEN PIO P CATAPANG JR, AFP Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines
28. LT GEN RUSTICO O GUERRERO, AFP Western Mindanao Command
29. MGEN EDMUNDO R PANGILINAN, Commander, 6th Infantry Division, Philippine Army
30. HON. LORETA ANN ROSALES, Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights

– Rappler.com