Page 10 - SEPTEMBER 2017 B ISSUE

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MR ON HOMICIDE RAPS JUNKED
OMBUDSMAN AFFIRMS INDICTMENT OF NOYNOY
AQUINO OVER MAMASAPANO MASSACRE
THE Office of the Ombudsman
has affirmed its indictment of former
President Benigno Aquino III for graft
and usurpation of authority over
his alleged role in the anti-terrorist
operation that led to the deaths of 44
Special Action Force (SAF) commandos
in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in 2015.
In a 27-page consolidated order
signed by Ombudsman Conchita
Carpio Morales on September 11, the
anti-graft office said it found “no cogent
reason to reverse or modify the assailed
resolution” after a fresh evaluation of
the evidence.
“In sum, the finding of probable cause
against President Aquino in relation
to his participation in the violation of
Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code
(Usurpation of Official Functions) and
Section 3(a) of [Republic Act] No. 3019
stands,” the consolidated order read.
CJ Sereno nixes
CHIEF Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno
has no plans yet to resign amid moves
to remove her from office through
impeachment, her spokesperson said
Thursday.
“[It] is not being considered by the
Chief Justice even as an option at this
point,” said lawyer Carlo Cruz when
asked to comment on the complainant’s
call for her to quit so as to avoid
humiliation and the inconvenience of
impeachment proceedings.
Complainant Lorenzo Gadon,
a lawyer, made the call a day after
the House of Representatives justice
committee deemed his complaint
sufficient in form and substance and
gave Sereno 10 days to respond to the
charges. will decide based on the merits, and
Among the issues raised against
Sereno were her alleged questionable
administrative orders, frequent
foreign travels and grant of allowance
to Sereno’s top aide and other staff
members without Court en banc
approval, alleged anomalous purchase
IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS
According to Abigail Valte,
spokesperson of Aquino, the former
President will meet with his legal team
on Thursday afternoon to discuss the
matter and determine the next course
of action.
In July, the Ombudsman ordered
the filing of criminal complaints against
Aquino, former Philippine National
Police chief Alan Purisima, and former
SAF Director Getulio Napeñas.
Almost 400 SAF commandos went
to Mamasapano, Maguindanao on the
midnight of January 24, 2015 in pursuit
of wanted terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias
Marwan.
The operation, dubbed as Oplan
Exodus, neutralized Marwan but also
resulted in an encounter with members
of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters.
resignation calls
of a luxury vehicle, and undeclared
earnings from her stint as part of
the government’s legal team in
the expropriation case against the
Philippine International Air Terminals
Co. Inc. (Piatco).
“I have very strong grounds and
documents to prove my allegations.
She better think it over. You cannot
[stop] the members of Congress from
asking questions, questions that may
even be off tangent just to attack
her. They will really tear you apart,”
Gadon said in a television interview
earlier in the day.
Sereno’s camp found the complaint
baseless even as it hoped that Congress
affirm their commitment to democracy
over partisan or parochial interests.
“In the meantime, the Chief Justice
continues to discharge her duties
with fairness, integrity and humility,”
Cruz said in a statement following
Wednesday’s vote. n Virgil Lopez, KBK, GMA
News | Published September 14, 2017 7:32 PM in hiring Filipino domestic workers.
September 2017 / Fortnightly – No. 18 • UK & Europe Edition
Forty-four troopers of the PNP’s elite
team perished as they were moving out commission of usurpation of official resulting in homicide lie against
of the area. functions,” it added. respondents is clearly bereft of merit,”
Morales said.
Aquino had previously been cleared The Ombudsman further noted that
by the Ombudsman of homicide raps while Aquino has the power to exercise The VACC had alleged that the
related to the incident. The Volunteers his powers as president, this function Ombudsman disregarded jurisprudence
Against Crime and Corruption then should be used within the bounds of the when it found no probable cause against
filed a motion for reconsideration on law. In this case, follow the preventive Aquino whereas the Senate committee
the charges. suspension of Purisima. report, counter-affidavits, and witness’
testimonies showed that he was fully
Aquino, in his motion for “Every public official and officer aware of the operation against Marwan.
reconsideration, emphasized that is expected under the law to fully
he was only exercising his duty to comply with it, without any form But the Ombudsman said “certain
maximize all government resources of circumvention, run-around, points of [the] law concerning the
available to ensure the success of the equivocation or pretense. Obedience quasi-offense of reckless imprudence,
operation. to the rule of law forms the bedrock of the careless act is single whether the
our system of justice,” the Ombudsman injurious result affects one person
The former chief executive also said. or several persons, and criminal
argued that the Ombudsman never negligence remains one and the same
gave him a chance to defend himself on MR on homicide raps junked. and cannot be split into different crimes
the graft and usurpation charges. and prosecutions.”
Meanwhile, in the same consolidated
More than a resource person. order, the Ombudsman dismissed the The case information is set to be
motion of the VACC to reconsider the filed before the Sandiganbayan. n
However, the Ombudsman said charge of reckless imprudent resulting
Purisima served more than a resource to multiple homicide against Aquino. Joseph Tristan Roxas, with a report from
person since he was performing his
official functions as then-PNP chief “In addition to the absence of Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez, RSJ/KG, GMA
despite under being preventive probable cause, the counsel’s theory
suspension. that 44 counts of reckless imprudence News | Published September 14, 2017 2:21 PM
“Clearly, Purisima performed said Updated 4:09 PM
acts under pretense of official position
since he was already barred at the time
from performing the functions of a
PNP chief, thus without being lawfully
entitled to do so as a result of the order
of preventive suspension against him,”
the Ombudsman said.
“President Aquino’s act of
utilizing the services of Purisima for
Oplan Exodus under the aforesaid
circumstances constituted an act of
persuading, inducing or influencing
another public officer to perform
acts constituting a violation of the
order of preventive suspension and a
PHL, UAE ink MOU on recruiting domestic workers
THE Philippines and the United Arab The MOU specified that the recruitment leaves the country.
Emirates have signed a memorandum of Filipino domestic workers will take after The contract will then be signed by
aimed at bolstering mutual cooperation a “UAE model contract.” the employer and applicant upon the
It also tasked recruitment offices to applicant’s arrival.
A report on Gulf News said Labor send the job offer to the employee in their Under the MOU, only recruitment
Secretary Silvestre Bello III signed the home country with a list of obligations agencies registered with the Human
memorandum of understanding (MOU) included in the labor contract. They will Resources and Emiratisation for the UAE
with UAE Human Resources Minister also be responsible in securing awareness will be authorized to offer recruitment and
Saqr Ghobash in Abu Dhabi last Tuesday. and guidance programs before the worker employment applications.
The Philippines was consulted for being
one of the countries from which the UAE has
a “huge demand” for domestic workers.
“The MoU is a result of many consultations
held between the two countries, which began
when the UAE Cabinet tasked the Ministry of
Human Resources and Emiratisation with
overseeing the domestic workers sector in
the country,” Ghobash said in the report.
Bello, for his part, said the agreement
would improve the management of the
contractual period between employers and
expat workers. n Margaret Claire Layug, KBK,
GMA News | Published September 14, 2017 4:12 PM