Duterte says charges vs ex-President will fail

President Rodrigo DuterteINQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night described as “silly” the charges against former President Benigno Aquino III recommended by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales over the 2015 Mamasapano massacre.

“The charges are there to ensure failure,” the President told reporters.

He described the charge of usurpation of authority at one point as bugok and all wrong.

The President is the Commander in Chief and could “call anyone to fight criminal operations,” Mr. Duterte pointed out.

“He was just asking for the advice from a professional police,” Mr. Duterte said, referring to former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima. “I do not see anything wrong there.”

Mr. Duterte said the charges against Mr. Aquino “will fail.”

He said the Mamasapano raid was “not a misadventure” but a case of Murphy’s Law, which says that anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

He pointed out that while it was a success because the commandos killed the Malaysian terrorist, they lost 44 men.

Asked who was at fault, he said: “Fate.”