Navy to reopen probe of P65-M anomaly in Marines

Navy officials are set to reopen the investigation of an alleged P65-million anomaly in the Philippine Marines during the watch of former commandant Brig. Gen. Guillermo Ruiz.

Reliable sources at Camp Aguinaldo revealed this yesterday as the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) recommended the cancellation of the permit and the filing of charges against the firearms dealer involved in the alleged P7-million firearms scam in the Marines.

The sources said the Navy’s Office of Ethical Standards for Public Accountability (NOESPA) is working on the reopening of the case involving the P65-million construction of a new Marine headquarters in Ternate, Cavite.

The reopening of the case, the source said, is the parting shot of Rear Adm. Guillermo Wong, who was formally relieved as Navy chief by Rear Adm. Victorino Hingco in simples rites at Sangley Point naval base in Cavite yesterday.

The case involved the relocation and replication of the Marine headquarters at Fort Bonifacio in Makati City to the Marine training base in Ternate, according to documents obtained by reporters.

Ruiz was tasked to implement the project that was to cost P64,982,600 from 1995 to 1996.

As of June 1997, however, only P266.56 remained of the project fund but there was still no headquarters nor access roads as required, the documents showed.

Investigators will also look into irregular practices like the lack of public bidding, fabrication of documents, splitting of purchase orders and work orders, among others.

The source claimed Ruiz was eventually charged but a "hastily called" Navy investigation cleared the former Marine commandant in early 1999.

"It appeared to be a whitewash," the source said. "The case was dropped and I guess they were hoping it would be forgotten."

But Wong refused to sweep the probe under the rug and brought the matter up again during a closed-door dialogue with Marine officers after his controversial Feb. 15 speech.

In that speech, Wong gave Marine officers a tongue-lashing in front of enlisted personnel regarding alleged irregularity in the procurement of helmets and rifles for the Marines. The Marine officers petitioned the military high command to relieve Wong of his command after the dressing-down.

However, in an effort to retain his command and instill discipline, Wong conducted a dialogue with Marine officers where he raised the Ternate headquarters anomaly anew.

"I am again reminded of another shabby Marine officer. You were given funds for the construction of the roads, where are the roads?" Wong told he officers during the dialogue. "Let’s stop this. Why do you allow these shabby officers?"

The exposé brings to four the number of former Marine commandants who have been linked to various alleged anomalies in the Philippine Marines.

Former commandant Lt. Gen. Edgardo Espinosa, now commandant of the Joint Command and Staff College in Camp Aguinaldo, was linked to the alleged irregular purchase of P3.8 million worth of Kevlar helmets.

The names of retired former commandant Maj. Gen. Percival Subala and incumbent Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Librado Ladia have surfaced in the case of 72 missing Heckler and Koch MP-5 assault rifles worth 7.2 million.

PNP CIDG director Chief Superintendent Nestorio Gualberto recommended the cancellation of the license to operate of Trimark Ventures.

Gualberto also recommended filing criminal charges against Trimark Ventures president Manuel Ferdinand Trinidad, Edelbert Uybuco, Gerry Vinandre and Marine Col. Cesar de la Peña, former Marines assistant operations chief.

Uybuco and Vinandre allegedly acted as brokers in the procurement of the firearms. "This is a very complicated case since those involved made it appear that there was no procurement of the equipment at all, when in fact, the sophisticated Heckler and Koch MP rifles were delivered," Gualberto said.