Manila: Charges were filed against former President Benigno Aquino III before the anti-graft Sandiganbayan court in connection with the 2015 secret police operation that led to the deaths of 67 people.
The Office of the Ombudsman put forward a case for graft against the 57-year-old-bachelor ex-president for ordering the operation and trying to persuade or influence another public officer to perform an illegal act.
The anti-graft prosecutor also said the former leader is liable for usurpation of authority for giving orders to an official who was under suspension — in this case, former national police director general Allan Purisima.
The group, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), last year, filed a case before the Ombudsman in an effort to seek justice for 44 police commandos who took part in the operation to arrest international terrorists Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan, and Basit Usman in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
VACC wanted that Aquino be indicted on charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide — a heavier offence. However, the Ombudsman, last July, downgraded the charges against the ex-president saying it found “no probable cause” to hold him directly liable for the death of 44 police officers who took part in the mission.
The case stems from a confidential mission to capture Marwan and Usman who were wanted by the US government for conducting terror attacks that killed Americans.
The raid, carried out on January 24, 2015, was so secret that aside from the then president, Purisima and Special Action Force (SAF) commander Getulio Napena, only a handful of police officials knew of the operation.
Even the military and then Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who were usually privy to such sensitive information, were kept out of the loop.
Marwan was killed and Uson was wounded in that operation, but at a cost of the lives of 44 SAF commandoes, five civilians and 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front members.
The operation also jeopardised the government’s peace negotiations with the MILF.
“It will be recalled that close at to midnight of 24 January 2015, almost 400 highly-trained commandoes belonging to the SAF unilaterally launched Oplan [Operational Plan] Exodus to serve standing warrants of arrest against Marwan and Basit Usman in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. In the ensuing firefight that lasted for several hours, 44 SAF troopers died in the line of duty,” the Ombudsman said.
Purisima had overseen the conduct of Oplan Exodus even though the Ombudsman had ordered his suspension in connection with an anomalous deal involving the government and the national police.
