(Eagle News) — The Palace is backing the Office of the Solicitor General’s decision to ask the Supreme Court’s help in seeking the filing of homicide charges against former President Benigno Aquino III and two others over the botched Mamasapano operation in 2015.
“The Solicitor General as counsel of the Government is correct. There ought to be accountability for those responsible for the SAF 44 debacle,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said, referring to the 44 Special Action Force troopers who were killed in the operation aimed at capturing Malaysian terrorist Zulfikli Bin Hir and Abdul Basit Usman.
Malacanang issued the statement a day after the OSG filed a manifestation before the High Court, asking it to reverse an Ombudsman resolution that dismissed the charges against the former president, former Philippine National Police Chief Alan Purisima, and former Special Action Force chief Getulio Napenas.
The OSG argued that the Ombudsman committed grave abuse of discretion when it dismissed the homicide charges against the three, and instead ordered the filing of graft and usurpation of authority charges against them.
In the 45-page manifestation, the OSG also asked the SC to stop the arraignment of the Aquino, Napenas and Purisima for graft and usurpation of authority.