Philippine leader Benigno Aquino has admitted that his “biggest mistake” as president was approving a counter-terrorist operation that led to the deaths of 67 people, including 44 police commandos. Aquino told the South China Morning Post in a wide-ranging interview that he should have first vetted Philippine National Police Special Action Forces (SAF) chief Getulio Napeñas, who planned and executed “Oplan Exodus” in January.“Let me directly answer the question,” Aquino said when asked about the biggest regret of his presidency. “Could I have done something differently? In hindsight… I should have known Napeñas better, Napeñas’ character better.” Napeñas’ secret plan – apparently conceived with the help of American “advisers” – was for hundreds of elite police officers to arrest Zulkifli bin Hir – alias Marwan – and Ahmad Akmad Usman in the remote southern village of Mamasapano, Maguindao, territory covered by a ceasefire agreement between the Philippine government and the Muslim rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). After going in unannounced and without informing nearby government military forces, an SAF team killed Marwan, while Usman escaped. But the raid also triggered a firefight that saw a contingent of the SAF commandos trapped and then all but wiped out by MILF forces and other militia. Stunned by the deaths, public opinion turned against Aquino. The president’s approval ratings fell when he declined to participate in a ceremony at an air base marking the arrival of the bodies of the slain commandos, and he was later photographed smiling briefly during the official wake. Things worsened when investigations showed that a friend of Aquino, the national police chief Alan Purisima, had been involved in the operation, even though he was suspended at the time on charges of corruption. Meanwhile, the secretary of interior and local governments and military chief had been kept out of the loop. Some of Aquino’s supporters were dismayed by his stubborn refusal to issue a public apology and criticise Purisima. Critics called for the president’s resignation or overthrow and former president Fidel Ramos asked Aquino to publicly apologise: “What is so difficult about that?” The tragedy also stalled the passage of Aquino’s signature legislation to grant enhanced autonomy to Muslim-dominated areas of Mindanao after video footage leaked showing wounded police commandos being executed by Muslim rebels. Aquino has placed the blame squarely on Napeñas because he had actual “control of the troops”. But Aquino admitted to The Post he had made mistakes that contributed to the tragedy. “I presume regularity, this guy trained by the state is a two-star general and knows how to follow orders [and] when he gave me his reply of ‘yes, sir’ to the specific of coordinating with the AFP [military in] sufficient days, I took it from a gentleman who kept his word,” Aquino said. “That was a mistake. “My mistake also was to presume that he was competent enough [that the plan would be faithfully executed]. I trusted this individual to be a professional.” Aquino claimed the plan and its execution had turned out to be “two different animals”. He also insisted he was not accustomed to telling officials to “move your left foot and move your right foot” in order to get things done. “If I have to go to your office and watch everything you’re doing, that’s micromanaging,” he said. “Which means I don’t have trust in your ability to carry out your function. Which means you’re one step from getting fired.” As for being absent during the arrival of the caskets in Manila and his outward lack of grief, the president said he wanted to give the victims’ relatives room to mourn privately. He also claimed he had been taught by his parents that: “You don’t cry in public.” Aquino said he had been concerned that, had he attended but been unable to answer the grieving families’ questions, they would have asked: “Why did you come when you cannot even help us?” Instead, Aquino said he had ordered a “memorable” arrival ceremony and briefed his staff to talk to the families about their concerns. “I’m not affected anymore by these complaints,” he said. “We have really a cottage industry of critics who will always find something to fault and if they can’t find something, they’ll invent. “What is clear to me is this part of my life, I’m not living for myself. I’m living for my [Filipino] bosses, who are a hundred million [people].”