Senate subpoenas exchange of text messages between Purisima, Aquino

President Benigno S. Aquino III and resigned Philippine National Police Chief Director General Alan Purisima. Malacañang Photo Bureau/PCOO

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate has subpoenaed the short message service (SMS) conversations of resigned Philippine National Police Chief Director General Alan Purisima on the fateful day of the Mamasapano operation last January 25 where 44 elite policemen were killed while serving warrants of arrest to two suspected terrorists.

Senator Grace Poe, head of the Senate committee on public order, said her committee issued the subpoena to Napoleon Nazareno, president and chief executive officer of Smart Communications last Thursday, Feb. 26.

In a two-page subpoena duces tecum, the committee “commanded and required” Nazareno to submit immediately upon receipt to the body the transcription of the SMS conversations under a mobile number registered under the name of Purisima for the period of Jan. 25, 2015 from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The subpoena was pursuant to Senator Loren Legarda’s request to confirm the veracity of the documents submitted to the committee, which investigated the Mamasapano operation along with the committees on peace, unification and reconciliation, and finance.

The issuance of the subpoena came even after the three panels concluded last week its investigation on the incident.

Purisima had already disclosed during the past hearing of the committees his exchange of text messages with President Benigno Aquino III on Jan. 25 where he informed and gave him updates about the operation.

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