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[av_heading heading=’Supreme Court halts Aquino graft trial’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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February 11, 2018
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MANILA – The Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order on court proceedings on the graft and usurpation of authority charges filed against former president Benigno Aquino III in connection with the bloody encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in January 2015.
The high court’s First Division granted the motion of Solicitor General Jose Calida to stop the trial of the cases at the Sandiganbayan on Feb. 15.
It also prevented the anti-graft court from proceeding with the arraignment of Aquino, former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima and former Special Action Force head Getulio Napeñas Jr.
Calida welcomed the decision. “I commend the Supreme Court for granting the TRO and upholding the sacred duty of the State to prosecute crimes,” he said.
Earlier the solicitor general asked the Supreme Court to charge Aquino, Purisima and Napeñas with the more severe case of reckless imprudence resulting to multiple homicide instead.
“This is the first step to hold those responsible for the senseless killing of SAF 44,” Calida said of the Supreme Court order.
Forty-four SAF officers were killed while carrying out “Oplan Exodus” – an operation aiming for the arrest of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan.”
Marwan was killed in the operation but an 11-hour bloody encounter between SAF troopers and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters left 57 people dead.
Commenting on the TRO, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque told reporters in a text message: “We respect that order of the SC, noting that prosecution of case is handled by the special prosecutor of the Office of the Ombudsman.”
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed graft and usurpation of authority charges against Aquino, Purisima and Napeñas before the Sandiganbayan.
Aquino allowed Purisima to have an active role in Oplan Exodus despite knowing that the latter was under preventive suspension and should not perform any official duty, case information showed.
The then president also allegedly instructed Purisima to coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and communicated exclusively with the latter at the height of the operation on Jan. 25, 2015.
The Ombudsman formally filed the complaint after denying Aquino’s motion for reconsideration and upholding its June 2017 resolution finding probable cause for his indictment. (With Philippine News Agency/PN)
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