Senator Antonio Trillanes IV INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday said the filing of charges against former President Benigno S. Aquino III for usurpation of authority over the Mamasapano incident would set a bad precedent for the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
READ: Ombudsman files raps vs Aquino over Mamasapano incident
Trillanes, in an ambush interview, said there was no negligence on the part of Aquino when he ordered former PNP Special Action Force (SAF) commander Getulio Napeñas to launch Oplan Exodus that cost the lives of 44 SAF commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in January 2015.
“Binigay niya (Aquino) ang order kay Mr. Napeñas at binigyan ng resources, so sa amin ‘yung commander, siya ang responsible kapag pumalpak. Hindi mo pwede ituro sa Presidente,” Trillanes, a former AFP soldier, said.
(He [Aquino] gave the order to Mr. Napeñas and provided resources, so for us the commander is the one responsible if anything goes wrong. You just cannot put the blame on the President.)
“Sasabihin kaya ako pumalpak kasi binigyan ako ng order ng Presidente. Hindi pwede ‘yon. It will set a bad precedent. Otherwise, lahat ng palpak na mission sa AFP at PNP pwede mo file-an ng kaso yung commander in chief,” he said.
(To say the mission was botched because the President gave me orders is just not right. It will set a bad precedent. Otherwise, every botched mission of the AFP and PNP you can file a case against the commander in chief.)
But Trillanes said the filing of charges against Aquino only proved that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales impartially dealt with the investigation on the Mamasapano incident.
“Lumalabas dito na naging objective yung Ombudsman, right or wrong wala silang pinipili, contrary sa sinabi ni Duterte,” he said.
(It just proves to show that the Ombudsman is objective, right or wrong they are not siding on anyone contrary to what President Rodrigo Duterte is saying.)
The Ombudsman charged Aquino with violation of Section 3(a) of Republic Act 3109 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), the provision on the usurpation of official functions.
The Ombudsman said Aquino “did there and then willfully, unlawfully cause (former Philippine National Police chief Alan) Purisima to perform and/or exercise the function of the chief of the PNP over Oplan Exodus prior to and during its implementation […] despite having knowledge that Purisima was under preventive suspension.” /jpv
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