Ex-PNP chief, 10 others held without bail for graft

MANILA, Philippines - Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Avelino Razon Jr. and 10 other former police officials surrendered yesterday, hours after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant for their arrest for their alleged involvement in the fictitious repair and maintenance of V-150 armored vehicles worth P385.48 million in 2007.

Razon and co-accused retired police directors Geary Barias and Eliseo dela Paz, who both served as PNP comptrollers, surrendered to the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City after the warrant of arrest was issued against them.

In a text message to The STAR, Razon said he believes in the justice system and is confident that he will be able to clear his name.

“I believe in our justice system. Now that the warrant of arrest from the Sandiganbayan is out, I will voluntarily surrender myself to the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan and squarely face the charges against me and hopefully prove my innocence in court,” he said.

Seven other retired police officials linked to the armored vehicle case joined Razon, Barias and Dela Paz at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City where they underwent booking procedures under the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). The seven former police officers were not immediately identified.

Razon and the other co-accused were detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame after the Sandiganbayan ordered that they be held without bail.

In a four-page resolution signed by acting Presiding Justice Gregory Ong and Associate Justices Alex Quiroz and Maria Cristina Cornejo, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division affirmed the recommendation of the Ombudsman to hold Razon, Barias, Dela Paz and 26 others without bail on charges of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents.

“The court hereby finds that there is probable cause for the issuance of the corresponding warrants of arrest against the accused. No bail is set or fixed in Criminal Cases Nos. SB-13-CRM-0772, 0773, 0774 and 0775 at this time since said cases involve a crime punishable with reclusion perpetua, for which reason bail is not a matter of right,” the court said.

Apart from Razon, Barias, and Dela Paz, also ordered arrested were Reynaldo Varilla and Charlemagne Alejandrino; Chief Superintendent Teodorido Lapuz IV; Senior Superintendents Emmanuel Ojeda and Reuel Leverne Labrado; Superintendents Warlito Tubon, Henry Duque, Josefina Dumanew, Rainier Espina and Edgar Paatan; Chief Inspector Analee Forro; and Senior Police Officers 4 Victor Puddao and Alfredo Lavina.

Also included were PNP civilian employees Antonio Retrato, Eulito Fuentes, Alex Barrameda, Patricia Enaje, Ma. Teresa Narcise and Nancy Basallo, newspaperman Artemio Zuniga, and traders Pamela Pensotes, Evangeline Bais, Harold Ong, Tyrone Ong, Gigie Marpa and Marianne Jimenez.

The case stemmed from four contracts for the repair and maintenance of 28 V-150 Light Armored Vehicles (LAV) awarded to Evans, RJP and Enviro-Aire and parts supply contracts with RKGK Enterprises and Serpenair Group Inc. Dex-Lan Enterprises in 2007 and 2008.

Prosecutors said defendants held a simulated public bidding for the contracts, noting that the Invitation to Bid was supposedly published in Alppa Times News, a non-existent publication.

Investigators from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit reported that forged documents were submitted in support of the repair deal including delivery receipts, certifications, inspection and acceptance reports, pre-repair and post-inspection reports and disbursement vouchers.

Defendants countered the warrants by separately filing motions for judicial determination of probable cause.

They said the ombudsman filed the cases without fully considering their arguments.

However, the Sandiganbayan said the defendants have to undergo a full-blown trial to prove their claims.

“The court hereby finds that the evidence on record satisfies the existence of probable cause for the issuance of the warrant of arrest against the accused. The allegations of fact and the arguments presented in the various motions for judicial determination of probable cause are basically evidentiary in nature and are matters of defense, which ought to be ventilated and threshed out in the regular course of trial,” the court noted.

Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP Public Information Office (PIO) chief, said PNP operatives are ready to arrest the other retired and active police officers implicated in the alleged repair of the V-150 armored personnel carriers.

“It will be a normal day of law enforcement,” Sindac quoted PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima as saying in reaction to the warrant issued against Razon and the others.

Sindac said the police are mandated to implement a lawful court order.

CIDG chief Director Francisco Uyami Jr. said that they were ready to serve the arrest order.

“We are going to serve it, we have no choice as law enforcers. We have to look for these persons covered in the warrant,” said Uyami.