AFP to allow placement of Rabusa under protection program

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) would not oppose the plan to place under the witness protection program former military budget officer George Rabusa.

AFP spokesman Commodore Miguel Rodriguez said they would just allow the justice department to decide on the matter.

“If the Department of Justice (DOJ) puts him (Rabusa) there (witness protection program), I don’t see anything wrong with that. They are the ones who will decide on that,” Rodriguez told reporters yesterday.

“Some people may say otherwise but let them prove their point and probably the DOJ may reconsider,” he added.

Rodriguez said they respect the views of former state auditor Arturo Besana, who had asked the DOJ to remove Rabusa from the witness protection program.

“We respect his (Besana) belief. That is also a good defense on his part. Let justice takes its course. If there are valid grounds to take him out of the witness protection program, then I’m sure the proper judicial entity will do that,” he said.

When asked if Rabusa should be charged for admitting that he pocketed millions of military funds, Rodriguez said: “Maybe, if he is no longer under the witness protection program, then maybe we can proceed.”

“Probably he will have his day in court,” he added.

Rodriguez said they would make available all officers implicated in the plunder case filed by Rabusa to put closure to the issue.

Rabusa had told a Senate hearing last January that former military chiefs received huge sums of sendoff money upon their retirement.

He said the giving of cash gifts to top officials is part of a military tradition.

Rabusa said former AFP chief Angelo Reyes got P50 million in sendoff money while former military chiefs of staff Diomedio Villanueva and Roy Cimatu got P160 million and P80 million, respectively.

The three have denied Rabusa’s claims.

Reyes, who was said to be close to Rabusa, committed suicide last Feb. 8 at the height of the controversy. Rabusa himself admitted benefiting from the alleged misuse of state funds.

He said he had received P500,000 monthly as budget officer and had P200 million in a personal bank account that he had to withdraw when the Anti-Money Laundering Council was formed.

Rabusa has filed plunder charges against a total of 22 active and retired military officers and civilians before the DOJ. 

A total of 17 officials were implicated in Rabusa’s complaint filed last April.

They include former Armed Forces chiefs Villanueva, Cimatu and Efren Abu; former military comptrollers Jacinto Ligot and Carlos Garcia; Col. Cirilo Tomas Donato, Col. Roy Devesa, Maj. Emerson Angulo, retired Maj. Gen. Hilario Atendido, Brig. Gen. Benito de Leon, retired Lt. Col. Ernesto Paranis, Capt. Kenneth Paglinawan, Col. Gilbert Gapay, Col. Robert Arevalo, and Maj. Gen. Epineto Logico.

Five more individuals including Besana were implicated in Rabusa’s amended complaint, which he filed last month.

Other respondents were retired Maj. Gen. Ernesto Boac, Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan and state auditors Crisanto Gabriel and Manuel Warren.

On Wednesday, Besana questioned his inclusion in the charge sheet and called on the DOJ to file charges against Rabusa.

“Why was Rabusa placed under the witness protection program? Rabusa was involved in schemes aimed at looting the military’s coffers,” Besana said.