‘Differences with RAM all about money’

It’s all about money.

So claimed retired general Edgardo Abenina, chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), yesterday about his rift with the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa (RAM).

Abenina said the RAM executive committee wanted him fired as LTO chief because they wanted "to make money" at the agency.

Retired Col. Reynaldo Samaco, RAM acting spokesman, however, denied this and accused Abenina of having run away with P1 million in RAM funds.

Samaco said Abenina has been replaced as RAM’s peace negotiator by retired Navy Capt. Proceso Maligalig.

"We do not intend to earn money by placing people in government," he said.

Earlier, the RAM wrote Transportation Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez to relieve Abenina for allegedly causing widespread demoralization among LTO’s career and rank-and-file employees.

The RAM, which led several bloody coup attempts against the former Aquino administration, also claimed that Abenina had "militarized" the agency.

But Abenina quoted retired Commodore Domingo Calajate, RAM executive committee chairman, as having previously told him: "RAM is not making money from you at the LTO."

He said the conversation took place before Calajate officially wrote Alvarez.

Calajate said Abenina threatened to withdraw RAM from the 1995 peace agreement with the government if he is booted out of the agency.

Abenina lashed out at his RAM colleagues whom he accused of having questionable business transactions at the LTO and wanting more with his blessings.

"Just ask around and you will find out," he said, refusing to give specific details.

Abenina added that his rift with RAM also has something to do with insurance payments for motor vehicles which run in the millions of pesos.

Samaco, however, denied this. "That’s not true. There’s nothing we want at LTO," he said.

Samaco countered that RAM is demanding payment from Abenina for the P1 million he was supposed to use for livelihood projects for RAM members. "Up to now, he has not paid up," he said.

Samaco said the RAM wrote Alvarez simply to dissociate the organization from Abenina’s activities at LTO which, he claimed, include questionable transactions which he did not specify.

Samaco said the RAM leaders earlier asked Abenina to answer complaints lodged against him by LTO insiders but the retired general refused to resolve the issues.

"We’re washing our hands of his activities," Samaco said.

Abenina himself now loathes RAM for whose objectives he had previously placed his life and career on the line.

"What good has RAM done since 1989?" he said, referring to the bloodiest coup attempt against the Aquino administration that year.

Abenina said he is, in fact, dissociating himself from RAM "because I’m no longer proud to a part of that organization."