Graft raps filed vs PNP officials

A group of retired police generals have filed graft charges against two ranking officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for allegedly misappropriating some P272.93 million in funds intended for the pay adjustment of some 12,000 retired police personnel.

In a five-page complaint-affidavit filed last Monday with the Office of the Ombudsman, retired police general Guillermo Domondon said Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco and Director Victor Signey, former PNP comptrollers, and other top officials should be held liable for violation of Republic Act 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act as well. They were also charged with illegal use of public funds and technical malversation of public funds under the Revised Penal Code.

Domondon, together with retired police officers Pablo Gordovez and Artemio Sta. Romana, is representing some 7,000 members of the PNP Retirees Association Inc. (PRAI).

He told The STAR the PRAI board of directors have issued a resolution authorizing the three of them to represent the plight of the retired officers.

The PRAI said it is holding Velasco and Signey liable for the failure to release over P272 million in pension funds to supposed beneficiaries.

The money is part of the P1.357 billion appropriated by the Department of Budget and Management for the PNP’s retired officers. It has two components — P1.08 billion for pensions and the amount in question as adjustment pay for year 2000 rates retroactive July 1, 2002.

"The amount intended for 12,294 retirees was misappropriated and diverted for the payment of other retirees who were not among the 12,294 PNP retirees," stated the complaint, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR.

It was also noted in the complaint that the intended beneficiaries of the P272 million "never received the adjustment to the CY 2000 rates, causing them injury, damage and prejudice and gave undue and unwarranted benefits to other PNP retirees who were not beneficiaries of the appropriation."

In filing the charges against Velasco and Signey, the retired generals said the misappropriations would have not been possible had the respondents not agreed to the disbursements during their terms as PNP comptroller.

Velasco, who currently heads the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime (PCTC), was at the helm of the PNP comptrollership from January 2000 up to July 29, 2002.

He was replaced by Signey on July 29. The officer-in-charge was subsequently designated as director effective August 2, 2000 until his retirement in December 2002.