Poe to consider Smart’s side on Senate’s request for SMS of Mamasapano players

Sen. Grace Poe at the Senate hearing on the Mamasapano Clash (Photo courtesy of Sen. Grace Poe’s Facebook page)

MANILA – Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday said she will consider if the Smart Communications will request for audience from her regarding the Senate’s subpoena issued to the telecommunications companies to produce records of short message service (SMS) of the key personalities in the Mamasapano incident.

”We want to clarify that with them. They have corporate responsibilities and the privacy agreement with their customers. I don’t know if they have capability to reveal all the conversation, how extensive it is,” Poe said in Senate media interview.

Last Feb. 26, Senate President Franklin Drilon approved a subpoena issued by Poe, asking the Smart to submit to the Senate the transcription of SMS conversation “registered under the name of Mr. Alan Purisima” from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Jan. 25, 2015.

The subpoena was in pursuant to the request of Senator Loren Legarda to confirm the veracity of the documents submitted to the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, in relation to the investigation on the Mamasapano incident.

”We are asking just for the day itself, on the 25th of January because there was time gap from 10 a.m. to about 5:30 to 6p.m.,” Poe said.

Poe said the Senate panel wanted to know the whole conversation between then suspended PNP chief Purisima and President Benigno Aquino III regarding the Mamasapano encounter that left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) men dead.

”The President might have given him (Purisima) different briefing but, on the other hand, we just want to be sure so that we will not be accused of taking side here,” Poe said.

As per advise of Purisima, relieved SAF chief Police Director Getulio Napenas informed acting PNP chief Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas about the Oplan Exodus time on target.

The Oplan Exodus was designed to capture two high-profile terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Basit Usman.

Marwan, one of the most wanted international terrorists listed by the United States, was killed in the operation but the SAF team encountered the combined forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).