SolGen wants Noy, generals punished for SAF 44
It will be the “height of injustice” if former president Benigno Aquino III and two police generals will not be held responsible for the death of 44 policemen from the Special Action Force (SAF) in the Mamasapano clash, Solicitor General Jose Calida said.
Calida made the comment on Friday after he filed a 45page manifestation asking the Supreme Court to order the Of- fice of the Ombudsman to file 44 counts of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against Aquino, former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima and former PNP-SAF chief Getulio Napeñas.
Earlier, the Office of the Ombudsman only charged Aquino, Purisima and Napeñas with one count each of graft and usurpation of official functions before the Sandiganbayan and dismissed the reckless imprudence resulting in homicide complaint against them.
“It is the height of injustice if Aquino III, Purisima and Napeñas will escape prosecution for the deaths of SAF 44, which could have been reasonably avoided were it not for their negligent acts,” Calida said in his Twitter account.
“The SAF 44 are fallen but will never be forgotten. The tragedy of their deaths should not spell the death of justice.”
“There can be no greater and more fitting tribute for them but the holy grail of truth on what exactly happened and who are responsible for it,” he added.
Calida said Aquino, Purisima and Napeñas should be made accountable since Aquino approved the SAF’s Oplan Exodus mission to apprehend international terrorists in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano town, Maguindanao on Jan. 25, 2015.
Despite the ongoing peace talks with the Aquino administration, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters attacked the SAF, killing 44 SAF commandos.
During the Senate inquiry on the Mamasapano clash, it was mentioned that Aquino allegedly allowed Purisima, who was suspended as PNP chief at that time because of plunder and graft allegations, to take part in the planning and the execution of Oplan Exodus.
Purisima also reportedly showed a lack of precaution when he allegedly instructed the SAF not to inform then interior secretary Mar Roxas and he was reportedly remiss in providing intelligence inputs during the planning and execution of the operation.
Napeñas still took orders from Purisima even if Purisima was suspended and could not act with authority.
Life in Tukanalipao normal again
Three years after the bloody clash, Barangay Tukanalipao in Mamasapano town has bounced back.
“Life is back to normal now. There have been very good improvements in our barangay and in other barangays in nearby towns,” 50-year-old corn farmer Muhdin Aliman said yesterday.
Hundreds of residents benefitted from an outreach mission of the executive department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Thursday in commemoration of Mamasapano clash three years ago.
The outreach mission included medical and dental services and distribution of fruit tree seedlings, Tilapia fingerlings, solar driers and other farming inputs.
In past three years, the ARMM government spent more than P100 million for various infrastructure projects in impoverished barangays in Mamasapano and in towns affected by the Mamasapano clash.
Among the projects are a bridge connecting both banks of the Tukanalipao River, farmto-market roads, water supply facilities and school buildings.
“Now, we can deliver our farm products to the markets on time. We were hurt badly by the bloodshed here in Barangay Tukanalipao three years ago. We are glad now realizing that it brought in government projects intended to improve our lives,” said Sahida Mandih.
The ARMM-BRIDGE program has been helping foster development in Mamasapano and in nearby towns by providing local beneficiaries with food, shelter, water and electricity. –