Former President Benigno Aquino III INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON
Update
The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against聽the arraignment of former President Benigno Aquino III and two others at the聽Sandiganbayan for graft and usurpation charges over the Mamasapano聽massacre.
In a three-page order released聽on Friday, the SC鈥檚 First Division instructed the聽Sandiganbayan to stop from proceeding with the arraignment of Aquino, former聽Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima, and former Special Action聽Force (SAF) chief Getulio Nape帽as Jr.
The High Court also halted the implementation of resolutions issued by the聽Office of the Ombudsman that junked the charges for reckless imprudence聽resulting in multiple homicide against the three officials.
The TRO stemmed from a petition filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), backed by a manifestation from the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
Last November, the VACC, together with the relatives of the fallen SAF 44, filed a pleading for the issuance of the writ of certiorari with prayer for a temporary聽restraining order and preliminary injunction.
The VACC petition seeks to restrain what it called the聽鈥渨eak鈥澛燾riminal charges filed by the Ombudsman against Aquino, Purisima and Nape帽as for graft and聽usurpation of authority.