1987 coup: The ties that bind PNoy and Purisima

President Aquino’s dogged defense of Police Chief Alan Purisima despite revelations of acts of irregularity and the public’s frustration over breakdown of law and order, have led many to ask what’s behind the closeness of the two.

While in New York last week, Aquino described the PNP Chief as ““not capricious.” Back in Manila after information about the luxurious Nueva Ecija vacation house with an attic on a 4.5 hectare property with a separate pavilion, separate four- car garage with quarters, a 7.5m x 15m pool, Aquino maintains the line that criticisms against his administration are really meant to block reforms that he is instituting.

It should be recalled that in order to install Purisima as PNP chief before the 2013 elections, then PNP Chief Nicanor Bartolome was forced to retire three months before his retirement age of 56.

During the turnover ceremonies from Bartolome to Purisima at Camp Crame on Dec. 18, 2012, Aquino revealed that he has known Purisima since 1987 when the latter was part of his mother’s Presidential Security Group.

Aquino said of Purisima:”Our bonds have been tried and tested; we know that we stand by each other on the straight path, in service to our countrymen. This explains my utmost confidence that he will always side with what is right, and that he can ensure meaningful, positive change among the ranks of our police force—especially when compared to the system we inherited. “

Police and military sources said the strongest “bond” between Purisima and Aquino was the Aug. 28, 1987 coup attempt against Cory Aquino’s government where the presidential son was wounded. They said Purisima was with him in that incident.

Then Presidential Security Group Commander (and now Secretary of National Defense) Voltaire Gazmin recounted the incident for National Geographic : ”I was right there at Gate 4 when the rebel soldiers tried to enter Malacañang. The rebel troops moved in on several trucks and shooting started. The car of the President’s son, Noynoy, was intercepted by attacking rebel soldiers near St. Jude Church. Noynoy was injured, and three of his security men were killed. Other PSG troops were killed during that clash.”

Following the series of coup attempts (nine all in all) against the Cory government, a fact-finding commission was formed headed by then Comelec Commissioner Hilario Davide, Jr.

Here’s the portion on the Malacañang attack of the Davide Commission report: “At about 1:45 a.m, 28 August, the rebels launched their attack on Malacanang. Some 20 rebels ransacked the armory of the Ant-Terrorist Task Force at the PSG at the foot of Nagtahan bridge. They attacked Malacañang from two directions along Aguila and JP Laurel streets but were blocked by the PSG and CAPCOM elements deployed at all possible approached. A firefight ensued, where several men from both sides were killed or wounded.

“The V-160 under the command of rebel Capt Reynaldo Ordoñez (PMA ’78) was confronted by a Scorpion tank coming from the Malacañang area near St. Jude Church. After Ordoñez spoke with its driver, the tank withdrew and the V-160 later left for Camp Aguinaldo. The 62IB led by Ochosa arrived at the Nagtahan bridge area at 2:00 a.m. passing through La Loma. They engaged in a firefight with government troops where three of their companions were killed while two were wounded. After about 30 minutes, they too headed for Camp Aguinaldo. The men of the 14 IB led by Acosta arrived at the Ayala bridge at about 2:30 a.m. and were deployed on both ends of the bridge.

“Later, after hearing shots from the area of Malacañang, they fired three rounds of flares to signal their withdrawal to Camp Aguinaldo.

“Unable to get to Malacañang, the rest of the rebel troops under Honasan headed for Camp Aguinaldo through the Sta Mesa route. But in the course of their withdrawal, they shot at civilian onlookers who were jeering at them killing 11 and wounding 54.

“Earlier they had fired at the convoy of President Aquino’s son, Noynoy, who was rushing home to Arlegui near Malacañang. Noynoy was wounded while his bodyguard was killed. Two other people died, and a third one was seriously wounded in the car behind them. The marine reinforcement led by Biazon composed of five companies and four LVTs arrived at the Malacañang area at 4:30 a.m but the rebels had by them withdrawn to Camp Aguinaldo.”

The years and his ascendancy in Malacañang as president have not completely healed the wound (actually one of the five bullets is still embedded in his neck) that incident had caused on Aquino. In March 2013, in General Santos City, while he was condemning the Datu Lahad, Sabah siege by the forces of the late Jamalul Kiram III, Aquino confused the audience when he suddenly shifted to the 1987 coup. He said: “Pasensiya na ho kayo kung may halong emosyon ‘yung talumpati ko sa inyo ngayon. Talagang, alam ho niyo, na-ambush nga ako noong ‘87 po. Tatlo sa apat kong kasamahan patay.”

We are wondering, if three of Aquino’s companions died, was the fourth one who survived Purisima?
There were rumors that a woman , who was in the car with Aquino during that incident, was one of the three persons killed.

The late broadcaster/blogger Ding Gagelonia had written about this rumor in his blog “At Midfield” on Sept. 27, 2009. The blog entry carried a press statement from Florencio “Butch” Abad, then campaign manager of presidential candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III refuting what he denounced as “ malicious allegations” that appeared in a newspaper.

Abad said it was “ an old story” and the reporter “got the facts completely wrong. “

He said: “A certain ‘Charlotte Marie Datiles’” indeed died during the August 28, 1987 coup d’etat. She was not the girlfriend of Senator Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino III nor was she in the same car as the senator.”
Abad quoted from a September 9, 1987 Inquirer column Ramon Tulfo saying that Datiles “ was the 19-year-old girlfriend of a certain Lt. Teodoro Sanchez, an undercover operative of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”

Abad said according to Tulfo, “Sanchez and Datiles and another ISAFP agent were passing by Malacañang aboard a car during the attack on the palace. They came from a mission following up a lead in the slaying of Local Government Secretary Jaime Ferrer. Sanchez’s car was sandwiched between the Palace guards and the rebels firing at each other.”

Abad closed his statement with “While we all expect evil propaganda of this nature to continue as the election nears, we have no doubt that truth will prevail in the end. We must not be distracted in the campaign to fight for what is right. The Filipino people deserve nothing less. Our call remains: ‘Tanggaling ang tiwali, itama ang mali!’

The relevance of Abad’s call has become more sharp and urgent in the wake of controversies involving the President’s men.