Palace: Justice should be given to SAF 44 families

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Friday said that it respected the mandate of the ombudsman to probe public officials, hours after the anti-graft body issued a resolution charging former President Benigno Aquino in relation to the bloody Mamasapano incident in which dozens of police officers died.

In a statement, Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella said that President Rodrigo Duterte would like to bring justice to the family of the 44 Special Action Force officers who died in Mamasapano after a failed attempt to arrest a Malaysian terrorist and a Filipino bomber.

Abella added that the president recognized the "heroic sacrifice" of the 44 police commandos and would give families closure as part of their healing process.

"We respect the Ombudsman’s constitutional mandate to investigate public officials," he said.

"The President recognizes the heroic sacrifice of the Philippine National Police- Special Action Force 44, and it is his—and the nation’s—hope to finally bring justice to the victims and families of the Fallen 44 and put closure to the issue," he added.

In a 35-page consolidated resolution released on Friday and approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, the office found probable cause to charge the former president with usurpation of authority under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code and Section 3(a) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The Office of the Ombudsman found Aquino liable for allowing former PNP chief Alan Purisima to play a "major role" in the botched PNP-SAF operation to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Filipino bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman.

It said that Aquino allowed Purisima to participate in the planning and execution of the plan despite knowing that he was under preventive suspension for an anomalous courier service deal of the PNP with a private company of firearms license delivery.

Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate panel that looked into the incident, said that the outcome of the investigation should be respected, whatever it will be, to put closure to the bungled police operation.

She added that legal institutions should be allowed to perform their duty and Aquino must be given chance to present his defense.

"[We] do hope that in the end, justice will truly be served," she said.

Purisima and former PNP-SAF director Getulio Napeñas Jr. are already facing separate cases of graft and usurpation before the Sandiganbayan in connection to the Mamasapano incident.