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Manila Bulletin devider devider Aquino's Mamasapano case being reopened

Aquino's Mamasapano case being reopened

Published Nov 8, 2019 03:23 pm
By Czarina Nicole Ong Ki Former President Benigno Aquino III is not yet off the hook as far as the Mamasapano case is concerned. (Photo by Nikki Ong/ MANILA BULLETIN) (Photo by Nikki Ong/ MANILA BULLETIN) The Ombudsman might have withdrawn the graft and usurpation charges earlier filed against him, but he is now facing possible charges for Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Multiple Homicide. The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) trooped to the Office of the Ombudsman Friday morning, together with former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director and incumbent Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and the bereaved family of the slain Special Action Force (SAF) 44 commandos in order to revive Aquino's criminal case with a Motion to Reopen Investigation. In the motion, the legal counsel of the SAF 44 families is calling on Ombudsman Samuel Martires to pursue the homicide charges against Aquino. "We are respectfully urging the Ombudsman to reopen the investigation of the above-captioned case against former President Benigno C. Aquino III for the deaths of the SAF 44," the motion stated. "In addition to the evidence already on record, we are attaching herein a copy of the Affidavit of...Magalong, as evidence to support the filing of a case for the crime Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Multiple Homicide under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code against the former President," it added. The complaint charging Aquino, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima and former PNP- Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) director Getulio Napeñas Jr. for Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Multiple Homicide was initially filed by the VACC, Erlinda Allaga, and others on July 1, 2016. This was in relation to the botched Oplan Exodus which led to the deaths of 44 SAF troopers in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on the eve of January 24, 2015. Two more complaint-affidavits followed: the first one was filed by Celestino Kiangan, Julie Danao, and Felicitas Ranon while the second one was filed by Telly Sumbilla, Helen Ramacula, and Lorana Sagoboy. But on July 14, 2017, former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales issued a Consolidated Resolution dismissing the complaint for Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Multiple Homicide and instead recommended the charges of graft and usurpation of authority against Aquino, Purisima and Napeñas. Not pleased with the charges, the complainants filed before the Supreme Court (SC) a Petition for Certiorari with Prayer for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction on November 2, 2017. In turn, the SC issued its TRO on February 7, 2018. Martires then manifested on June 24, 2019 to withdraw the charges initially filed before the Sandiganbayan. The anti-graft court's Fourth Division granted this on August 22, thereby dismissing the charges. In an interview after the filing, VACC lawyer Ferdinand Topacio repeatedly called the graft and usurpation charges filed by Morales as a "joke" and a "travesty of justice." Had the SC failed in issuing a TRO, Topacio said Aquino and his co-accused would have been arraigned and there would have been double jeopardy. "Three persons will never be held to account for their crimes," he said. However, he was hopeful that with a "fair and impartial" Ombudsman, they will now be able to attain justice. Meanwhile, Magalong shared that his affidavit contained the "statement of facts" from the Board of Inquiry (BOI) report. He did not disclose the details of the Affidavit, but Magalong did confirm that they saw several "glaring" errors from the actions of the former President and his co-accused. Had the people in charge back then been more "decisive", Magalong said Oplan Exodus might have turned out better. It was because of Aquino's orders that Purisima, despite being suspended at the time, worked together with former Napeñas and led around 400 SAF troopers in implementing the arrest of wanted terrorist, Zulkifli Bin Hir alias "Marwan" and Ahmad Akmad Uson in Mamasapano. Even though the operation led to the death of Marwan, over 60 people lost their lives. The ill-fated SAF44, on the other hand, met cruel deaths at the hands of their captors.
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