MANILA, Philippines - Around 250 individuals
were killed by the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF)
during an operation which turned into an armed encounter with the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF)
in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January 25.
In a Senate hearing on Monday,
relieved SAF chief Getulio Napeñas stressed that the members of the elite
police force who were sent to the mission were highly trained individuals.
"They know what they're
doing and know what to do in times of adversity and hostility. Had it been
otherwise, the combined force of the MILF and BIFF and other private armed
groups would have not suffered at least 250 casualties in the midst of the
firefight that took place almost the whole day," Napeñas said.
Napeñas added that the 37-man
assault force from the 84th Special Action Company were able to shoot at least
150 of their enemies.
Superintendent Raymond Train, one
of the SAF survivors, said that he killed at least 25 attackers during the
encounter, according to Napeñas.
SAF snipers stationed in the area
were able to take down at least 20 of their opponents, Napeñas added.
"Had the artillery support we requested
arrived on time, the situation would have been entirely different,"
Napeñas explained, adding that early reinforcements would have lessened the
number of SAF casualties.
Napeñas stressed that the SAF
commandos were more than prepared for the operation to arrest Malaysian
terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir, alias Marwan, and his Filipino cohort Basit Usman.
During the latter part of the
hearing, the former SAF chief said that Train's team was able to neutralize
Marwan and they cut out an index finger of the terrorist that was used in the DNA confirmation by the United States' Federal Bureau
of Investigation.
"Mission accomplished. This
is only the word that the SAF troopers needed to hear, only that it happened
with a price the lives of our 44 brave young men," Napeñas said.
The Senate Committee on Public
Order and Dangerous Drugs is currently conducting its probe on the Mamasapano
incident which led to the death of 44 police commandos.
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