Senator Richard Gordon, the chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee, expressed his desire on Sunday to reopen the case of the SAF 44 and would possibly summon Aquino to testify.
Sen. Gordon stated that the graft and usurpation case against Aquino and two other authorities is too light of a case if the three be proven guilty. He said the Ombudsman should have filed “graver charges … multiple homicide through reckless imprudence.”
As a result, Sen. Gordon has expressed his desire for the Ombudsman to file the necessary cases and punish those who are proven guilty of involvement in the massacre of the 44 SAF members during the Mamasapano incident in 2015.
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| Photo from Inquirer |
“Nobody will be exempted from this … I don’t have any ill feelings against (the former President). He has to man up and face the consequences,” Sen. Gordon said in a radio interview.
In a statement made in a separate interview, Gordon said that such investigations and pursuit for justice is being made not only for the sake of the relatives of the 44 slain SAF members, but for the military as well.
"Ayaw ba nating malaman kung ano talaga ang nangyari?" Gordon stated in an interview.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said that necessary measures should first be considered before the reopening of the case, such as to consider which parts of the case be reopened and what new measures to implement to ensure that the efforts of this time's re-investigation would not be put to waste.
Sonny Angara expressed his respect over Sen. Gordon's opinion to urgently open the case. However, Angara said he agrees with Sen. Win Gatchalian to consider the reopening.
Sen. Angara reasoned that the Senate must first ponder on things before the reopening of the case, considering that according to Angara, there had been five executive meetings and hearings in the previous investigations, allotted to witnesses and resource people.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said that the reopening of the case is just a waste of time and must only be put to rest. Sen. Drilon said in the same radio interview that he would oppose any new inquiry, pointing out that Morales had already issued the indictment.
“There is a case now and the right to self-incrimination is applicable her. Whatever statements are made in the Senate can be used against the one testifying," Drilon said.
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| Photo from Inquirer |
Likewise, Senator Grace Poe stated that the Senate should be open to the possibility that former president Aquino will invoke his right not to talk.
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed a graft and usurpation of authority case against former president Benigno Aquino III, former Philippine National Police chief director Alan Purisima, and former Special Action Force Director Getulio Napenas for their involvement in commanding the flawed Oplan Exodus, or the plan to pursue an international wanted personality in Maguidanao, way back in January of 2015.
Sources: Inquirer
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