Retiring AFP chief Oban cites accomplishments

MANILA, Philippines - Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. yesterday claimed that stopping the anomalous conversion of funds is one of his achievements during his nine-month stint as head of the military.

“Based on the official reports I received, the controls we instituted are continuous. What we are doing is really to eradicate the reasons or motivations (to commit anomalies),” Oban said when asked to cite his accomplishments in curbing corruption.

Oban, a graduate of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class ’79, will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on Dec. 13.

He said the field units did not encounter problems even if the practice of conversion had been barred.

He said reforms have been made by previous military chiefs to prevent anomalous transactions and to ensure the timely disbursement of funds.

“From the time of (former Armed Forces chief) Gen. (Efren) Abu, there have been reforms even before the issue (on military corruption) surfaced,” Oban said.

“The impression is these things are still happening until now. But I did not find it hard to introduce reforms.”

The AFP chief, however, could not say if the practice of conversion was rampant during the time of his predecessors.

Conversion is a scheme wherein supplies to be purchased are converted to cash. Military officers reportedly resort to conversion if they do not have available funds for unexpected needs.

The Armed Forces’ image had been tainted with corruption after former military budget officer George Rabusa claimed that ranking generals received huge sums upon retirement.

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

Rabusa revealed that some military funds had to be diverted to ensure the availability of the sendoff money.

He said former Armed Forces chief Angelo Reyes got P50 million in sendoff money while former military chiefs Diomedio Villanueva and Roy Cimatu got P160 million and P80 million, respectively.

The three have denied Rabusa’s claims. Military officials have claimed that the corruption allegations are no longer happening and that reforms have been made to improve their systems.

Meanwhile, Oban is mum on who would be his possible successor as Armed Forces chief.

“I just forwarded all the three-star generals,” he said, referring to the list of possible nominees.

The three-star generals who are qualified for the post are Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer of PMA class ’77; Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena, Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali, Central Command chief Lt. Gen. Ralph Villanueva, Armed Forces vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, Western Command chief Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, and Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Arthur Tabaquero, all from class ’78; Navy chief Vice Adm. Alexander Pama, deputy chief of staff Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara and Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Jessie Dellosa of class ’79.