OMBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio-Morales revealed her “true color” when she decided to clear former President Benigno Aquino 3rd of any liability in the implementation of the multibillion-peso Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) during his term, anti-crime advocates said Wednesday.
Dante Jimenez, founding chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), claimed Morales was protecting Aquino, and said his group would not allow her “selective justice” to continue.
Apart from the motion for reconsideration to be filed by the lawyers of the VACC on the decision of the Ombudsman on the DAP issue, the organization is eyeing an impeachment compliant against Morales.
Jimenez said the move to impeach Morales would not involve the VACC alone because there were other complainants in the DAP case filed last year against Aquino and his former Budget secretary Florencio Abad.
Complaints of technical malversation and usurpation of legislative powers were filed against Aquino and Abad by the VACC, Bayan Muna, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Gabriela last year.
But the Ombudsman only found probable cause to charge Abad for violation of Article 239 (Usurpation of Legislative Powers) of the Criminal Code before the Sandiganbayan, and cleared Aquino of any liability.
The VACC, Jimenez said, will meet with other complainants and discuss their next move.
“VACC as one of the complainants in the DAP complaint and other organizations will meet to evaluate and possibly file an impeachment complaint against the Ombudsman,” he added.
Jimenez noted that it was the second time Morales shielded Aquino from possible charges. The first was in January when the former president was excluded in the filing of charges in connection with the botched Mamasapano operation that led to the killing of 44 police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos.
It was the VACC that filed the complaint against Aquino, former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima and sacked SAF director Getulio Napeñas for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.
The group in its complaint stated that Aquino should be held liable for the deaths of the SAF commandos because of negligence, imprudence, lack of foresight and lack of skill in the planning, preparation and execution of the police operation to arrest terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias “Marwan.”
But the Ombudsman only recommended the filing of graft and usurpation of public functions against Purisima and Napeñas, in effect absolving Aquino.
“VACC condemns the Ombudsman’s decision to absolve former President Aquino on DAP and just recently over the massacre of the SAF 44 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao,” Jimenez said.
“She has protected Aquino not once but twice,” he added.
The VACC head also expressed confidence they would get enough support to impeach Morales from the House of Representatives.
In fact, Jimenez said, several congressmen have approached him and vowed to support a move to impeach the Ombudsman.
Jimenez declined to identify the lawmakers but said they were those who were subjected to Morales’ “selective justice.”
http://www.manilatimes.net/impeach-morales-protecting-aquino/316226/
http://www.manilatimes.net/impeach-morales-protecting-aquino/316226/
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