Aquino apology is necessary

What makes it so hard for President Benigno Aquino III to apologize for the botched Mamasapano operation? One might wonder why even some bishops, who have moral authority over him (P-Noy happens to be a member of their flock), have joined the call of Senators Sergio Osmena III and JV Ejercito for him to issue an apology to that effect—a call he continues to ignore.

Could it be because by doing so, President Aquino “could create a legal liability,” the same reason he gave in rejecting Hong Kong’s demand that he apologize for the 2010 hostage crisis in Luneta (“P-Noy rejects suggestions to issue apology to HK,” News, 2/6/14)?

Nonetheless, any which way we look at it, it appears that P-Noy is accountable, hence he cannot evade legal liability over the Mamasapano operation. Why?

First, P-Noy unwittingly put the Special Action Force commandos in twin dangers by allowing then suspended Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima to continue supervising the operation while the latter was under preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombusdman on corruption charges. Thus the President broke the chain of command by keeping both Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP officer in charge Leonardo Espina in the dark about the operation. Later, Purisima was found to have lied to the President (“P-Noy: Purisima lied to me. Palace: President seems not to regret entrusting control to ex-PNP chief,” Front Page, 2/25/15).

Secondly, has President Aquino easily forgotten his own assertion that “I am both the commander in chief and president, therefore, at the end of the day, everything is my responsibility” (“P-Noy: I’m responsible for Zambo operation,” Front Page, 9/20/13)?

Would there be anybody else responsible for the Luneta tragedy and the Zamboanga and Mamasapano operations other than the commander in chief and president who happens to be President Aquino at the time they occurred?

With respect to responsibility, the Bible has this to say: “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, but we knew nothing about this, does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?”—Proverbs 24:11-12

P-Noy should apologize (at the very least) in order to ease the tension and mitigate possible charges he may face soon after he steps down from presidency.

—ARMANDO LIBRANDO ALPAY, c/o [email protected]