U.S. AID US forces use their helicopter to airlift Philippine police commandos wounded in a clash with Moro rebels from the Shariff Aguak Provincial Police command to a hospital in Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat. FERDINAND CABRERA/Contributor
COTABATO CITY, Philippines—Despite denials in Manila, police and intelligence authorities on the ground see nothing wrong in the purported US hand in the botched operation against the Malaysian bomber known as Marwan.
“The assistance extended by the Americans in pursuit of known international terrorists has always been there,” said a Philippine National Police official, who is privy to the project to get Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, on Jan. 25 that ended in the slaughter of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos.
“There is nothing new and their help is highly appreciated,” said the official, who asked not to be named for lack of authority to speak to the media. “Terrorism is a transnational crime. Crime prevention is everybody’s responsibility.”
After Marwan, who was reportedly killed in Mamasapano, the US government is now keen on pursuing his deputy, Basit Usman, who remained at large, this source said.
Inquirer sources said that the Mamasapano operation was directed by an American named Allan Konz and that at least eight Americans were monitoring from the SAF command post in Shariff Aguak the operation against Marwan.
The US Embassy denied American involvement in Mamasapano.
“This operation was planned and executed by Philippine authorities. We refer you to them for details of the operation,” US Embassy spokesman Kurt Hoyer said in a text message. He skipped a question on Konz.
Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. said that in the congressional hearings last week, Director Getulio Napenas, the relieved SAF commander, insisted that the United States was not involved in Mamasapano.
“He did not mention the involvement of foreign troops. Let’s leave it at that,” the PNP spokesman said, adding that a police inquiry into the incident is under way.
The PNP has no reason to hide US assistance in the antiterrorism campaign, Cerbo stressed.
“We have received assistance from other countries, not only from our US counterparts, also our Australian counterparts and from other nations in terms of training, equipment and other kinds of support,” he said.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said he found nothing wrong in the United States providing intelligence information about Marwan. “We don’t have geospatial intelligence. Only they can provide that and we need that,” said the former Navy officer.
Soldiers are used to asking and receiving assistance from their counterpats in the United States, he said.
“Anything that helps us accomplish our mission, we welcome that. Whether it will violate certain laws, I will leave it up to the smart guys,” Trillanes said.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said her department’s investigation into the Jan. 25 massacre would include media reports suggesting US involvement.
But she stressed that priority was on “the culpability of people that ought to be held criminally liable” for the massacre.
ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio said that the reported direct US role in Mamasapano raised possible violation of Philippine sovereignty.
“What we had in Mamasapano was a purely PNP operation. If there was US participation, clearly that is intervention in a purely internal law-enforcement operation, without any cover from existing treaties,” Tinio said.–With reports from Julie Aurelio, Leila B. Salaverria, Jerome Aning, TJ Burgonio and Christine O. Avendaño in Manila