SolGen lauds SC TRO on Noy’s Mamasapano arraignment
Solicitor General Jose Calida has lauded the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) to suspend the arraignment of former President Benigno C. Aquino III for lesser crimes over his alleged liability in the deaths of 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) commandos during a botched operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in 2015.
“I commend the Supreme Court for granting the TRO (temporary restraining order) and upholding the sacred duty of the State to prosecute crimes,” he stated in his post in official Twitter account.
“This is the first step to hold those responsible for the senseless killing of the SAF44,” Calida pointed out.
On Friday, the High Court issued a TRO stopping the Sandiganbayan from arraigning Aquino and his co-accused — former PNP chief Alan Purisima and former SAF chief Getulio Napenas — for graft and usurpation of authority in connection with the so-called Mamasapano massacre.
The three are supposed to be arraigned over the charges this February 15.
The high tribunal granted the plea of Calida to issue a TRO considering a review has been sought over the case and charges of 44 counts of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide be filed instead against Aquino, Purisima and Napenas.
In its resolution ordering the stop of the arraignment, the SC enjoined the Office of the Ombudsman from implementing its resolutions “insofar as it dismissed the complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide against respondents Benigno Simeon C. Aguino III, Alan Purisima and Getulio Napeñas and from further proceeding in the subject cases.”
Last month, Calida filed a manifestation asking the SC to compel the Ombudsman to file 44 counts of homicide against Aquino, Purisima, and Napeñas in connection with 2015 encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao where the 44 Saf commandos were killed in a clash with rebels.
In his manifestation, Calida also asked the SC to nullify the Ombudsman’s ruling which dismissed the charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide filed against the three.