MANILA
- It was the United States government who provided President Aquino intel on
terror suspect Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, a newspaper report said.
Citing
a police general, the Manila Standard said the US used drones and satellites in
gathering intelligence while suspended Philippine National Police chief Alan
Purisima sent men to verify the intel.
A
Palace official will neither confirm nor deny the matter.
President
Aquino earlier said elements of the Philippine National Police Special Action
Force attacked an isolated village in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Sunday to
arrest terror suspects Zulkifli bin Hir alias ''Marwan'' and Basit Usman in
Tukanalipao village.
A total
of 44 SAF commandos were killed in the operation.
While
confirming that he talked to the SAF chief, the President said there was
"very minimum compliance" on the part of the SAF in coordinating with
the military before starting the operation to hunt two Jemaah Islamiyah
terrorists.
He said
a military battalion was only informed about the operation just when the SAF
was near the jump-off point for the raid. Unfortunately, the soldiers were
securing a main supply route in the area.
The
President said the encounter should not derail government efforts to forge a
lasting peace deal with the MILF, saying that more innocents will be affected
if war breaks out in Mindanao anew.
The
Manila Standard report said the President was in Zamboanga on Sunday to closely
monitor the developments in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Some
lawmakers are now urging the President to make public everything he knows about
the Mamasapano mission.
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