Is Vice President Jejomar Binay attacking the Ombudsman to undermine its decisions?

“I think, as what we have been seeing in the past few months, as a general rule, the Vice President attacks the Office of the Ombudsman whenever he does not like the decision,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

The statement came after Binay scored the Ombudsman for supposed selective justice and for clearing President Benigno Aquino III of accountability on the bloody Mamasapano operation.

 

READ: 20 senators sign report holding Aquino responsible for Mamasapano

 

“Kumbaga, ‘pag hindi po nila nagugustuhan ‘yung desisyon, kung anu-ano na po ‘yung nagiging statement nila,” Valte said.

(When they don’t like the decision, they release all sorts of statements.)

She said that the decision to clear Aquino’s name was a result of the Ombudsman’s findings and that disagreement should come in the form of a legal move.

“We will no longer just comment on the fact that they’re dissatisfied or it does not favor their camp,” she said.

Aquino is among the officials blamed for the deaths of 44 policemen, 17 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and three civilians during the Mamasapano operation.

READ: Full report: The Mamasapano incident

 

Critics accused Aquino of allowing then suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) Alan Purisima to direct the secret operation. Because of lack of coordination and supposedly poor planning, many of the Special Action Force troopers involved in the mission were killed by the MILF. This is despite the signing of a peace deal between the government and the MILF.

In a statement, Binay said “the exoneration of the President of any criminal offense for his active planning of the doomed police mission raises more questions and doubts to a public seeking for a just closure to this tragedy.”

July 25 coincides with the sixth month anniversary of the Mamasapano operation.