Villanueva confident Aquino will be cleared of Mamasapano raps

Sen. Joel Villanueva. (File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Senator Joel Villanueva has expressed confidence that former President Benigno Aquino III will be “vindicated” for his actions in the botched Mamasapano operations in 2015 .

“I trust the legal system will arrive at the truth and PNoy will be vindicated,” said Villanueva, referring to Aquino by his presidential nickname.

Villanueva spoke in a text message Saturday night.

The senator, who is part of the majority bloc in the Senate, was head of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) under the Aquino administration.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, in a resolution on Friday, ordered the filing of charges against Aquino for usurpation of authority and violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act in connection with the Jan. 25, 2015 anti-terror raid in Mamasapano that left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos dead.

The former president was, however, cleared by the Ombudsma of homicide charges.

READ: Ombudsman orders Aquino indictment

Aquino, through his spokesperson, Abigail Valte, said he would file a motion for reconsideration. He said there might have been a “misappreciation of some facts surrounding the incident, leading to some erroneous conclusions.”

“He (Aquino) will seek to clarify the same through the motion for reconsideration,” Valte said. CBB/rga

READ: ‘Misappreciation of facts,’ Aquino camp says of Ombudsman indictment