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[av_heading heading=’Aquino on indictment: Erroneous, meritless ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – “Patently erroneous and bereft of any merit” was how former president Benigno Aquino III described the Office of the Ombudsman’s order to charge him in connection with the 2015 Mamasapano encounter.
The Ombudsman’s conclusions were based on “highly inaccurate and flawed facts,” specifically the accusation that he allowed then suspended Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima to play a “major role” in the operation, Aquino said.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales last week indicted Aquino for usurpation of authority (Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code) and violation of Section 3 (a) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Aquino allowed Purisima to join Oplan Exodus despite fully knowing that the latter was suspended, Morales said.
“Purisima only acted as resource person on Oplan Exodus and did not in any way participate in the operation’s planning and implementation,” Aquino said in his motion for reconsideration.
“To stress, there is nothing irregular, much less illegal, about my act of utilizing all the resources available at my disposal, including sourcing information and inputs from anyone, whether they are in active service or not,” he said.
The exchange of text messages between him and Purisima “cannot be construed as asking or ordering (Purisima) to direct the implementation of Oplan Exodus,” the former president noted.
“What these messages show is that I was a passive receiver of the updates,” he said. “Indeed, I am not precluded by any law or regulation from asking clarificatory questions from anyone who might have access to any relevant information.”
Oplan Exodus, an antiterrorism operation targeting the international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, or Marwan, led to the death of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) officers, and some communist guerrillas and civilians. Marwan was killed, too.
Aquino has repeated blamed then SAF chief Getulio Napeñas for the fatal operation. He claimed the latter “lied” and “disobeyed” his order to coordinate with Armed Forces of the Philippines./PN
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